Just One Kiss
by MidnightSakuraBlossom and SYD
Summary: AU: Ludwig and Feliciano have just started dating, but haven't had a real kiss yet and want to. Ludwig isn't very experienced when it comes to romance however, and fate is just *not* on his side and has a strange way of working out! BONUS SCENES INSIDE
1. The Awesome Prologue

Author's Note: I've been reading too much GerIta fanfiction lately. But I regret nothing, because I've seen some pretty good ones. And after reading so much I decided to write one myself, just to throw caution to the wind and see how this little idea turns out in the end. Since, as you probably need to know at this point, Germany/Italy is my favorite yaoi pairing of Hetalia (Spain/Romano and America/England both fighting for second place. And I dunno why I just added this in.). I then started thinking about plot ideas.

So I was pretty much at an inward war over what kind of plot to use. But went with a "first kiss" kind of thing because the more I thought about it, the more adorable it seemed. And now we have this little series of drabbles about Germany's quest to finally share a romantic kiss with his new boyfriend, Italy!

Human names are used, it has an AU setting, there is language at times, random inputs of whatever character's national language, shounen-ai, and a lot of suggestive things. If you do not like any of this, please kindly get your ass out and don't slam the door. :)

This first chapter is the prologue. Prussia is included as well, as it's all thanks to him that Germany even decides to take on this challenge! *Is quietly snickering randomly, maybe in anticipation*

Disclaimer: If Hetalia Axis Powers was mine, we would all be doomed. Be glad I do not own it. Be glad. -.-'

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter 1: The Awesome Prologue**_

_**. . .**_

Ludwig wasn't sure how it happened, but he just realized one day that he was in love.

It wasn't with a girl, no it was with a boy. Although that is highly debatable in the case, and some certain people still aren't sure. But anyway, this boy was his age and attended the same school and classes as he did. This boy was of Italian descent and was one of the most annoying things in Ludwig's life. And even though he was very cowardly, ditzy, clumsy, and obsessed with pasta to the point of it being utterly ridiculous...

Ludwig somehow managed to see through all of this over time after they had become friends. This boy, Feliciano Vargas, also meant well with his intentions and was friendly and always smiling.

Ah, yes, that big smile that melted his cold heart at first sight of it.

Ahem, but anyway, for a while the German struggled with these feelings. He wasn't used to emotions in general. And had absolutely no knowledge or experience with romance at all. Which was such a shame, seeing that all he secretly wanted was Feliciano. And finally, after nearly a year, the two had been sitting out underneath a large tree in the local park; having been caught out in the rain when out going shopping for some stuff together. And the moment had felt so right.

You see, Feliciano was not shy about letting anyone know of his feelings about...well...anybody in general. And he openly was very affectionate around Ludwig, which only made the latter's mind short-circuit and his heart skip several beats during any of these moments. When they were caught in the rain and soaked to the bone underneath the large tree, the Italian had tried to snuggle up close to his body for warmth. For Ludwig...time had just slowed completely, but he was enjoying the contact. And had showed some sympathy and slipped a strong arm around his small frame and pulled him closer into something of an awkwardly-cute embrace.

And then afterward, the confessions just kind of all came out. Feliciano had been so caught up in the moment that he admitted he "really, really liked him" and that was why he was always trying to hang out with him and just be in his presence and why he tried so hard to get him to appreciate his efforts. And despite his initial surprise to the point of getting tongue-tied, Ludwig remained composed on the outside (though he was a nervous wreck on the inside and a part of him probably fainted), and he calmly responded that he felt the same way. Once he saw Feli's smile return ten fold, a stubborn blush had rose into his cheeks and he had glanced away nervously before sighing and looking back.

Nothing else to remark about happened. The rain had let up shortly after, right when Feliciano unexpectedly crept a little closer to Luwig's face for some reason. But there was no grand gesture like a kiss or anything intimate. Truth be told, Ludwig was just glad that he had gathered the courage to tell Feliciano to his face that he liked him – it was hard to even think that he may be in love with him. As he never really experienced it before.

Now here we are in the present time. About a week after these confessions, Ludwig had invited Feliciano over to his house to watch some movies together. His father would be out working late and his annoying and so-called awesome older brother was told to stay in his room or anywhere else in their house and not to come out and embarrass him with his obnoxious ways (Gilbert grudgingly agreed, he hated it when he couldn't show off to over people that he was the only awesome person in this family). And they had just finished the second when they noticed it was late at night; around ten. Feliciano knew that his own brother would be pissed off if he didn't return home soon.

It occurred to Ludwig that he should probably offer to drive his boyfriend back, since Feliciano was tired from watching two long movies and probably would as bad a driver on the night streets as he was even in the bright sunlight. But Feli was persistent and insisted that he would be able to make it back across town safely. But Ludwig at least walked him to the outside front porch of the house.

The two stood there, light blue eyes looking at squinted lines. They were silently just admiring the others' appearance. Ludwig loved that usual smile he was giving him right now. And he just looked cute in general with his copper red hair with that one unusual curl sticking out, those squinted eyes, and at the moment he wore a long sleeved white simple shirt, khakis, and sneakers. How he had even fallen for this guy, Ludwig wasn't sure but he knew that there was no mistake this was all in his head. As he stood there, mere inches away and looking down at the shorter boy, the one thing running through his head was: "MEIN GOTT, JUST KISS HIM ALREADY! HE'S CUTE AND AN AIRHEAD; HE WON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HIT HIM!" Just the thought of giving him an actual, passionate kiss on the lips, it made him blush and tense up. He wasn't good at these kinds of situations.

And meanwhile, Feliciao couldn't help but blush delicately and smile as he realized the closeness they were in; underneath the full moon and starry sky on the porch. All he could hear was their breathing and the occasional cricket chirping the background. Ludwig just looked so amazing underneath the glow; it really brought out the glimmering blue in his eyes. His blond hair was slicked back as usual and he wore a green t-shirt and some jeans and sneakers. And God knows he didn't want this night to end, he had a good time. But a part of him kind of wished he could've met his father and brother, but he had fun. Being so close to him, tilted his head and locking eyes with the German. Ohh, he so badly wanted to wrap this date up well with at least one kiss before he went insane! The tension was too much to bear! But he was...a little worried that Ludwig may not want to. Since, he was known to be a little awkward and shy when it came to romance.

Finally, for what seemed like forever, the couple realized that neither could do this. Not without their own fears getting in the way. But the first to give the other some personal space was Ludwig, whom coughed and tried to compose himself. Practically praying the heat in his cheeks would die down sooner or later.

"Ludwig...?" Feliciano extended a hand was about to step forward, but he seemed to change his mind. He stopped and his hand dropped back to his side. A little sigh passing his lips. "Um, I guess I should be...going home now before Fratello has a breakdown..."

"Oh..." Ludwig sighed as well, Feliciano's mood affecting his greatly. He wished he could just get over this and make contact with his lips, at least for a few seconds. Which was an impossible dream. "Yes, I guess so."

Just as Ludwig was about to turn around go back in, Feliciano gasped and quickly reached for his wrist and gripped it almost desperately. "Wait, wait! I did have a good time! And...I...I hope we could see each other again maybe, this Friday?"

He actually wanted to go on another date? Ludwig, at first, almost found this hard to believe. But when he turned and looked at the Italian's face full of hope, he couldn't refuse this suggestion. And so they made plans to go out together next Friday night; maybe go see a new movie at the theater or something.

And then they parted ways. The two still wanted to have at least one passionate kiss to end the night and make it at least a little memorable; since it had been an official week they've been together. Feliciano just made his way to the car him and his brother shared, a little clumsily and comically as he could barely see in the darkness. Ludwig still stood there pretty much glued to the porch and watching him until the car was completely out of his sight. With an inward sigh of dismay at his actions, or lack thereof. And he cursed himself in the back of his head as he went back in.

The minute Ludwig entered the house, he closed the door behind him more loudly than necessary and irritatedly placed a hand over his forehead and just silently ranted to himself about how awkward that was, and why he couldn't just kiss him.

Suddenly an arm slipped around his shoulder and Ludwig turned his head and found himself meeting a pair of crimson eyes. His eye twitched at this. God, he didn't need to be bothered by his obnoxious brother at this time...

"West, that sucked!" Gilbert scolded him, looking totally annoyed at this moment. Before Ludwig could say anything at all, he raised a hand to silence him and sighed in an overly dramatic manner. "You had the whole world right there! He's actually kinda cute, and you let your chance to kiss him slip right through your fingers...it's such a shame that you are not as awesome in all areas like ME..."

"Bruder, not now..." Ludwig complained, slipping out of Gilbert's rough hold and walking over to the coffee table to clear away some of the spilled food and disorganized items. But his brother just sighed once again and made a 'tsk 'tsk' sound before taking a sip of the glass of beer he just grabbed from the nearby kitchen counter. "And you promised you wouldn't eavesdrop on us, didn't you?"

"West, West, promises can EASILY be bent and twisted. Kesesese!" Gilbert's mood suddenly did a 360 and he was looking rather annoyed once again as he watched his little brother take out his problems with cleaning and organizing. Which was just stupid, he noted eternally. "I was watching through the window. You need to suck it up and kiss him before he starts getting the wrong impression! Haven't you seen those romantic/comedy chick flicks?"

"Have you...?" Ludwig countered in a deadpan-ish manner as he sighed and dumped some of the gathered spilled food and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.

A very faint hint of a blush crept into Gilbert's cheeks, he tried to ignore this though as he wanted to be as composed as possible. "My girlfriend...she's forced me to watch them...but that ISN'T the point!" Sliding up to his brother's side and wrapping an arm around his shoulder once again, something of a smirk twisted on Gilbert's lips. "The point is that Feli will start thinking you don't really like 'em if you don't kiss him sooner or later. And that weird gesture of kissing his cheeks doesn't count, by the way! But don't worry, because your awesome bruder is going to step in and move things along rapidly with-"

"Gilbert, I don't need your help." Ludwig insisted, which totally didn't convince Gilbert at all. He slipped out of his rough hold and then walked back over to the table and tried to hide the bright red color in his cheeks by putting any knocked over and/or disorganized items back in place.

"Yeah, you do. When you turn redder than a damn tomato at the thought of even brushing hands with your boyfriend," Ludwig shook his head and tried to block out this rambling, but it was all in vain. "You've got a huge problem! I understand that you're still as shy and awkward as ever, though you don't show it outwardly, but you do know that you'll feel like a whole new person after experiencing one passionate kiss with that special someone! Kesesese, and then we ALL know where kissing leads to-"

"BRUDER!" Gilbert blinked repeatedly at that outburst, hardly expecting that. When he looked up from his fingernails he was randomly filing for some reason, he could see Ludwig looking in his direction. His face stained a bright red at these implications he was hearing.

It wasn't like Ludwig didn't want to kiss Feliciano. The Italian's lips were always so inviting, especially when they were curved in that very absent and oblivious smile. He wanted to show him that he did like him more than what he let on, or admitted. A lot more. He just...well, believe it or not, Ludwig knew absolutely nothing about how to handle being in love with somebody. Or romantic feelings in general.

Gilbert's constant prying was just plain annoying. And Ludwig had no idea why he suddenly was interested in his new-found love life. Or why he got the idea that his boyfriend would think that he didn't really care about him all that much unless he sealed and proved it with a real, sensational kiss to his lips.

But maybe, in context, his older brother was right. What if Feliciano really did believe that he wasn't really as interested romantically in him as he had thought before? What if he was starting to become worried that their relationship wouldn't work out and get very rocky and even more awkward than it was now? Ludwig would not put it past the Italian to start assuming these kinds of things. And it killed him to think that.

Now, the brothers watched each other with serious gazes. After around a short period of seconds, Ludwig released a long and irritated sigh. Gilbert grinned mischievously at this, loving where this whole thing was going.

"Alright. You're right." Immediately Ludwig's gaze lowered to the spotless wooden flooring beneath his feet, finding it hard to look at his brother's evil grin without shuddering and feeling like his life was about to start to suck soon. "I guess...I guess I do want to kiss him, at least once. And I will do it, but I don't need ANY 'assistance' from you, Gilbert."

How could Ludwig completely reject his offers to help him in this very awkward situation? Did he not understand that he only wanted to help out his little brother? Or did he...see through this and know that Gilbert only wanted to help him do that this chaos would be settled much quicker and he wouldn't have to deal with him moping around the house annoyed with himself for losing his first boyfriend? Eh, most likely it was the second at this point.

Hey, at least Gilbert's persuasion was working out well. Now his brother was finally going to get his act together and seal the deal with a much-anticipated kiss! And if fate was on his side, he would also be getting a little VERY much-anticipated steamy action in the bedroom too (If you catch our drift. *Nudge nudge wink wink*). He couldn't help but feel even more...awesome-r than ever now. He was kind of like one of those matchmakers in those chick flicks that he did. Not. Watch. Willingly. And as disturbing as that thought is, it felt fascinating at the same time.

Suddenly, Gilbert heard a car engine. He walked over to the window, pulled back the curtains, and could make out through the thick darkness the outline of their father's car pull into the garage. So, he was finally returning. Then sadly, he would have to put away the beer. Their dad was always lecturing him about always hogging the good beer. Sigh. He was misunderstood as a person...

But this was forgotten when he looked back and watched Ludwig mutter a goodnight and then make his way to his bedroom, probably to go have some kinky dreams about that cute little Italian, Gilbert sneakily assumed.

For some reason, the totally awesome guy couldn't help but get the impression that things were about to be getting very good for some reason. And, keeping this in mind, Gilbert downed the rest of the beer and then quickly went to his room to look for his old digital camera; look's like his girlfriend, Elizaveta, was REALLY starting to rub off on him, it seemed. And this isn't good in some POV, because he was already such a clever stalker of certain people to begin with...

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

This was only the prologue (officially made awesome due to Gilbert being included, which I'm sure practically everyone reading this approves), but things will, in fact, actually start to be getting good like what was mentioned. Thus begins Ludwig's quest to find out a little bit more about the whole romance thing and maybe even finally have his and Feli's first, real kiss. Naturally, it turns out the fate isn't on Ludwig's side at all with all the interruptions, distractions, intentional cockblocks, and awkwardness! XD

I would include a translation here, but I do not think it's necessary. I only added simple German and Italian words this time, so simple that you should be able to find them out yourself *Is guilty of being more fluent in Italian than German and is silently worried she got the latter wrong*. And just in case you are wondering about the character ages: Ludwig and Feliciano are practically seventeen almost. Gilbert is going on nineteen (and is only still at home because he doesn't care about being cooped up in a college somewhere. But we all know that Ludwig and their father secretly want him out, right?).

Anyways, I hope you liked the prologue! I am not completely sure about how long this story will end up being, but I'm crossing my fingers here about it turning out good in the end! ^.~ Please read and review, they really help fuel my motivation to write and actually start working on chapters to anything~! *Is hoping she didn't sound like a desperate moron*


	2. First Attempt

Author's Note: Let the plot begin! Here's the next chapter for you. I'd like to say thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts that I got remarkably fast after posting the prologue. I was kind of doubtful it would be all that good, haha. ^^'

Disclaimer: If I'm writing fanfiction, I must not own Hetalia or the world in general. Wow, that sounded awkward...

…

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter 2: First Attempt**_

…

Ludwig's plan to share just one kiss with his boyfriend was as simple as he could manage.

He didn't know much about romance, but figured that the setting where they were at helped with the mood. If they were to kiss somewhere out in public with strangers around, he wouldn't be able to do it without feeling very awkward and uncomfortable.

But if they were to kiss somewhere private, away from others, then that would be better for him. He could naturally do it without feeling awkward or feel like someone was always watching him. And maybe Feliciano would feel the same way about that. Or..._would_ he? Compared to him, Feli was a little less shy about expressing emotions and whatnot. The was obvious by the way he was always shamelessly flirting with girls between and even during classes. Even ones on the side of the street, to top things off.

One thing about Ludwig through, was that he just had to always have some kind of strategy for anything in life. And believed that he would have accomplish whatever goal he had before anything else. To him; this situation was seen in this fashion. Since Gilbert started prying into his life and insisting that he would lose his boyfriend's interest if he didn't kiss him, all that raced throughout his mind was various scenarios in which could happen for their lips to meet.

After about another day, he had fully developed a plan. Which the German was sure would have to work. Though he really had a difficult time in making it simplistic. A part of him longed to be able to kiss Feliciano without feeling awkward or uncomfortable, he really have a soft spot for him and wanted to prove that. Since words were impossible, actions and body language would have to guide him.

So his plan was this: between classes, he would always meet up with Feliciano, or Feliciano just randomly greeting him happily and never leaving his side until the bell rung, if you prefer. But this time when they would be together, Ludwig would lead him to either maybe outside or some private corner in the building. Either would work, he assumed. Just a place in which they could be completely alone and do this without eyes locked on them the entire time.

Now, in the present time, it was about one in the afternoon and they were between classes. Ludwig was at his locker just putting in some books and letting his mind escape reality for a short period of time and imagine how his attempt to kiss his boyfriend work out. He hoped that it would work out and fate was actually on his side.

Yes, he tried to remain a little confident. And said confidence increased when he noted that there wasn't anything that could interrupt their attempt to kiss. Gilbert would probably be bothering people elsewhere like he did on a daily basis, Feliciano's brother would most likely be bothered by that overly-friendly Spanish guy elsewhere like he usually tended to be, and everyone else in this school wouldn't even care to stare at a couple of guys passionately kissing each other due to the surprisingly increasing amount of same sex couples lately.

"Ve~! Ludwig, I've been looking for you!" Ludwig turned, and the minute he did so, a familiar beaming Italian was at his side like usual and grabbing a hold of his upper arm.

"I was about to go looking for you too." Closing the locker door, Ludwig fully turned and gave Feli that usual gaze that made him blush. A gaze in which revealed he was planning something; with those blue eyes almost shining. "See...there's something I..." Fuck. He could feel chis cheeks begin to heat up intensely now. Ludwig wasn't sure if he would be able to even say this.

Feliciano just chuckled, seemingly oblivious to his boyfriend's embarrassment. "What is it...?"

"Ahhh...well, since we have a little bit of time before the next class, I was wondering if we could talk."

Wait, that didn't make any sense. Feliciano cocked his head to the side, a cute little confused expression now on his face. "Ve? But aren't we talking right now?"

"I mean," Dammit, dammit, what _did_ he mean? Ludwig wasn't sure now, it just wasn't going the way he wanted it to. He scratched the back of his neck and his gaze lowered to the floor of the halls. "Somewhere private. Maybe outside?"

"Oh! Of course, Ludwig~! I love being out in the sunshine~!"

Somehow, Ludwig got the feeling that Feliciano totally misinterpreted what he was trying to imply. But this was forgotten completely when the now-extremely-cheerful Italian reached for his hand and interlocked theirs together tightly before walking away with him.

At this contact, Ludwig wouldn't doubt it if his face was turning a bright red and his skipping heartbeat was extremely audible. Even though the two have briefly held hands before, it wasn't for too long. Now they were nicely interlocked as if they were meant to be that way. This feeling...was a very foreign one to the German.

But he knew that he liked it nevertheless. Even if he didn't say that out loud.

…

The sun was really beaming down on the Earth today. Feliciano loved every minute of it, humming some random tune to himself and twirling a little a distance away from the tree Ludwig sat underneath watching him with something on his lips that might have been a...small smile trying to develop.

This view that Ludwig was getting couldn't have been better. With Feli embracing randomness once again and just kind of twirling around and letting the rays of the sun gently falling over him. Bringing out the red in his chair with that mysterious curl twitching ever so slowly. His eyes open for a change, and shining a golden/amber color, and then his innocent features...

Okay, he had to stop himself now. It was true that Feliciano was very cute, but this would have to be admired later on. Ludwig sighed, trying to compose himself. He got up off the ground and leaned against the tree; calling out for the Italian, who jumped immediately at it and practically skipped over an his usual flamboyant manner.

The couple stood underneath the tree, barely inches away, the crisp breeze lightly blew and it rustled the leaves overhead and tousled their hair. Feli had shivered a little, as he had taken off the jacket of his school uniform and only wore the-shirt underneath.

Somehow...the moment felt right. There was an unexplainable feeling they both shared as they looked into each others' eyes; light, crystal clear blue meeting golden amber eyes. As if they were communicating through the eyes rather than through words or actions. And it was all about them right now.

Feliciano suddenly moved closer and smiled once again, his eyes were practically glittering. "Veee~ Ludwig..."

"Feliciano..." The name kind of came out in a low, passionate kind of way. Ludwig almost would have been a little embarrassed about that, if he hadn't been so into the quiet and perfect moment.

The German and Italian continued moving closer as if they were in a trance, one lowering down a little and the other forcing the tips of his toes to hold out as he leaned up on them. Their eyes fluttered closed, both silently eager for their lips to meet.

Yes, they were closing the distance slowly and surely...

Closer...

And closer...

_Almost there_...

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST KISS 'EM ALREADY, WEST!" In shock by that sudden shouting, Ludwig and Feliciano's eyes snapped open just in time for them to bump foreheads and gasp a little from the pain. "Oops."

They stared at each other in shock, rubbing their foreheads. And then they glanced up at one of the highest tree branches to see Gilbert up there awesomely hanging backwards with his feet wrapped around the wood. Ludwig glared at him, hoping that maybe this would mask his flushed cheeks as anger rather than the embarrassment of actually having this guy as a brother.

"Isn't that Gilbert...the guy Elizaveta is always ranting about...?" Feliciano asked slowly, his eyes once again closing as usual as he gazed up at him.

Ludwig just sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. "He's my bruder. And how, I don't even know."

Gilbert laughed and then flipped off the branch and landed to his feet, standing just a little distance from the interrupted couple. His crimson eyes staying locked on Feliciano however.

"Soooo, what's your name?" Gilbert asked, a grin spreading on his face as he slipped an arm around his shoulders.

"Feliciano!" The Italian happily chirped. Ludwig just glanced at the two and heaved a sigh, he didn't even get answers about why his brother was stalking him and just had to interrupt the perfect kiss. "So you're Ludwig's brother? He never really talks about you much..."

"That's probably because he's just embarrassed that he doesn't have any awesomeness like I do." Gilbert noted, saying this as if it were one of the most obvious things in the world. If looks could kill, Gilbert would have already been dead and in his grave by Ludwig's. "I mean, it's understandable when you give it thought! Kesesesese, he gets embarrassed way too easily anyway. He's probably about to die from having me interrupt the little moment here of yours."

"Oh, you didn't ruin anything!" Feliciano argued, beaming at him like usual. "Ve~ It was nice getting to meet you."

At this, Gilbert glanced over at Ludwig and smirked.

"Well, you shouldn't have met this way." Ludwig sighed and asked, "Now why were you in that tree?"

"I wanted to catch the big moment on my camera. You know how Elizaveta is about guys being affectionate towards each other..." Gilbert replied, whipping out said camera.

Ugh, this moment just got totally ruined by his brother. How did he not plan out that Gilbert would try and crash it in some kind of form or fashion, risking anything, including his dignity, to do so? And before Ludwig could lecture him about being a stalker again, the bell suddenly rung and could be heard even outside from where they were all standing.

"Oh, Ve, better get going to class!" Feliciano quickly grabbed his jacket from the ground and slipped it back on before turning to run off towards the building. He knew that he would see Ludwig in class, so he wasn't really disappointed that their moment had been murdered by his awesome brother.

When he was totally out of their sight, Ludwig turned to give his brother a pissed look before crossing his arms.

Gilbert knitted his eyebrows together and gave him an annoyed look. But this was brief and fleeting before he smirked and waved a dismissive hand, saying, "Hey, don't get pissed off at me. You'll have plenty of chances to kiss Feli, because I will share some of my awesome advice-"

"Bruder, I don't need any assistance from you."

And so, Ludwig went off to his next class. It appears that fate was not on his side, to have his obnoxious older brother stalk him shamelessly and ruining one perfect moment between them. As the day went by in a blur, he still could not help but remain pissed about it.

However, he did have a spark of hope after he lied down in bed to go to sleep that night. When a sudden idea struck him, and with this in mind, Ludwig managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep knowing that he would elaborate more on this idea the next morning.

_**To Be Continued.**_

…

A/N: Yeah, the first attempt was a fail. That would be...strike one for Ludwig. =.= Will this new idea he has in mind to get Feliciano somewhere private and ideal to kiss him work? Or will something or someone just end up cockblocking? *Mysterious music here*

Hope you liked the chapter! I'll try to update soon, hopefully, because I have a lot of ideas for this story! Read and review, please! *Uses puppy dog eyes* C:


	3. Mistakes And Milkshakes

A/N: The inspiration for this chapter came from drinking a vanilla milkshake while blasting Milkshake by Goodnight Nurse on my iPod. O.o But I'm sure you don't care about this. Let's forget me and move on to Ludwig's next attempt to kiss Feliciano...while his original plan gets totally warped and screwed up completely.

Disclaimer: Seriously, I'm just a fan. *Innocent face here*

**. . .**

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter 3: Mistakes and Milkshakes**_

**. . .**

Somehow, Ludwig should have realized that fate was just not on his side and his plan would not work.

When the German had awoken the next morning, he formulated a plan in his head while he got ready to start the day and go to school like usual. Feliciano never once leaving his mind. He was like some kind of sickness that he couldn't get rid of. Some people may argue that this is a sickness (read: yeah, lovesickness). But he was positive that it was only because he knew that he would have to kiss the cowardly Italian sooner or later.

It was true, he had understood finally after eating a quick breakfast and getting into the car to drive to school, Feliciano is most likely the type of person to jump to outlandish conclusions. If he continued to avoid kissing him passionately and having something or someone keeps interrupting and he allows it, then Feli may think that he just doesn't desire to. Which isn't at all the case. It was safe to say that the thought of touching lips with him was constantly on his mind ever since Gilbert's 'helpful', unquote, advice.

Most of the day had gone by in a blur as usual. Ludwig had quietly studied during each class, met up with Feliciano multiple times, and had been an unfortunate witness to his brother's usual antics with that Elizaveta's ex-boyfriend, just the typical stuff. And before he even knew it, it was late in the afternoon and he was leaving the building with his boyfriend hanging off his arm and chatting about the stuff he was planning to do over the upcoming weekend and some stuff about art and movies. To be honest: Ludwig was barely even paying attention to his babbling, just admiring his beaming face from the corners of his eyes.

Since it was late and he had to return home and prepare some dinner for him, Gilbert, and their father, Ludwig had tried to tell this to Feliciano once he had followed him into his car. But then...right when the words left his mouth, he watched his boyfriend's hopeful smile falter right before his eyes. And he seemed genuinely disappointed by the fact they would have to part ways for the evening, he claimed afterward that he wanted to spend some time alone with him. It wasn't safe to return back to his own place due to Lovino being in an angry spell and pissed off with Antonio for trying to flirt with him very obviously in the middle of class with everyone's attention being focused on the impending chaos. He did not want to be mixed up in his wrath.

So now, this was how Ludwig found himself currently sitting outside of the local ice cream parlor on a bench with Feliciano happily sipping a vanilla milkshake. Which kind of altered his original plan entirely; which was to go pick up Feli at his place after dinner and invite him out for a little night on the town. Where he would eventually scope out a quiet and dark setting for them to kiss.

Oh well. Feliciano seemed to be enjoying himself like he tended to be most of the time. Between sips of his milkshake, he was giddily talking all about how his week has been, and about the whole love triangle their Japanese friend Kiku has unwittingly gotten himself into with that dude from Greece and that one mysterious dude from Turkey, and about how he was always amazing the teacher in his art class with his spot-on and lifelike paintings. Ludwig wasn't one for unnecessary chatter, but he would give him occasional signs that he was listening and add in comments here and there. In all honesty, this moment wasn't really a bad way to spend the night. As long as the Italian was here with him, then it really didn't matter what he was doing or where he was. Just keeping that in mind always made his cold heart melt and flutter and his usually-stoic expression to crack and become more expressive.

"Yeah, so Fratello started going on a rant about Antonio and I was just sitting there when finally-" Feliciano's story was interrupted suddenly by a loud, repetitive ringing could be heard. He had paused in the middle of sucking up the shake when Ludwig reached into the pocket on his jacket and pulled out his phone.

After reading who this caller was, Ludwig sighed and excused himself from the area for a moment. He didn't want Feliciano to hear his brother freaking out because he didn't have any dinner waiting for him on the table, that would only mortify him more. He already was silently mortified at the thought he could even be related to Gilbert at all.

"WEST!" Ludwig flinched somewhat and held the phone out from his ear a little ways. After hearing some crazy gibberish coming out of his brother's mouth frantically, he put the cellphone back and leaned against the nearby tree. "...So where the hell are you? I'm starving! I WOULD have gone out to get some food, but dad's working late again and you still have the other car! It is so not awesome not having transportation, and I just want something to eat before I die!"

"Gilbert, just take deep breaths and relax." Ludwig explained quietly, he could hear the very deep breathing of his brother on the other line. And he was far too annoyed for his mind to wander off and take notice to the fact it sounded oddly suggestive. "Now, let me explain what's going on. Feliciano can't return back to his home right now because Lovino's acting bitchy again, and he said he wanted to spend some time with me. We're out at that new icecream place now, and we're just talking while he's slurping down a milkshake."

"Milkshake huh...?"

"Bruder..."

"Kesesese, don't get so offended, West! Anyway, I see how it is. So I guess I'll just order out then. Hope you can finally kiss your cute little Feli~" Before Ludwig could reply back, Gilbert abruptly ended the call. He sighed and tried to stamp out the hot blush on his cheeks.

It was like Gilbert to interpret a situation very differently than it was. Is this why Elizaveta always gets aggravated with him? Well, anyway, Ludwig stuffed his phone away and looked over at Feliciano still happily sipping away at his milkshake; not even caring that he could easily bet brainfreeze at this speed.

He waited a few minutes, to be sure that the color in his cheeks had faded away, and then Ludwig went back over to the bench and sighed aloud as he took a seat next to him.

"Ve~ Who was that?" Feliciano asked, turning and looking at Ludwig right in the eyes. He had paused in the middle of slurping the milkshake, so there was a little trail of white around his mouth. It was as if he didn't even notice this though.

"It was just Gilbert." Ludwig explained, his tone showing that he was extremely annoyed. So Feliciano just nodded in understanding and said nothing else, he just went back to slurping away loudly, still not even bothering to wipe his mouth.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea for Feliciano to have not cleaned his mouth off. Because that was all Ludwig had been sneaking glances at when he was sure he wasn't looking. The cold ice cream was slowly dripping off his lips and it was almost too inviting to just lean over, tip his chin up, and press his lips against his own to get a sample of it. And it would also make for an interesting first kiss.

The sun was dipping very low in the sky and it was getting much darker out now. There weren't many bright streetlights around, so the two sat in a dim-lit area alone on this bench. The occasional dying breeze passing through.

But how would Feliciano react to this? Would he be surprised and return said kiss, or would he not even understand what he was doing. Even though Gilbert had ruined his first attempt, the Italian hadn't once brought that up or seemed to want to try again. Honestly, Ludwig was starting to get the idea that he didn't want to do this like he did.

Which didn't make sense, seeing as Feliciano could be pretty forward. Not being aware of his actions or implications, naturally. It just kind of came to him. As if it was just in his blood.

Through his back-and-forth arguing in his head about whether to take a chance or not, Ludwig hadn't even realized that Feliciano had paused for a short time and tapped a finger to his lips, laughing a little as he finally took notice to the cold desert dripping from his lips.

"Veee~ I need to get some napkins..." He muttered aloud, after thinking for a moment, realizing that he didn't have any napkins needed to wipe off the ice cream. He had already drank up the milkshake by now without many breaks and his mouth was already bitter cold from it, so he didn't feel like just licking it off.

And then he looked up at Ludwig, an idea forming in his head. It seemed like a good one, it would get the ice cream off his own lips, Ludwig could get a taste of the delicious taste, and he would finally get a chance to have their first kiss that had gotten unfortunately interrupted by Gilbert previously.

"Ve~ Ludwig, Ludwig," Feliciano chirped, tapping his shoulder repeatedly for a few seconds before Ludwig had turned and stared in confusion. A faint hint of a blush was tinged on the Italian's cheeks as he added, "Kiss me~ Kiss me~"

But which kind of kissing did be mean? Ludwig had wondered in confusion, seeing Feliciano set the cup beside him and then laugh somewhat nervously as he twiddled his fingers. Did he mean that gesture involving kissing his cheeks, or an actual kiss to the lips? Thinking about this was making his heart begin to skip a few beats now, unexplainable butterflies now building up in him, if Feliciano was really wanting him to give him a kiss on his lips than this means his idea was screwed up. But at least he will have a good chance at touching his lips than what he had before if he knows that he wants it as well.

It was when Feliciano took a finger and pointed it at his lips, did Ludwig's mind go in a state of utter chaos as he realized that he was indeed implying that he wanted to be kissed on his lips. The German's eyes widening a little, his face heating up at a rapid speed, and his heart feeling like it was near bursting out of his chest.

Now they were practically in a trance once again. Their eyes meeting directly. Until Ludwig's had fluttered closed and the two slowly-yet-eagerly leaned forward. Closing the distance between them fast. This was it, it was finally going to happen. And best of all: Gilbert was nowhere to be found and they were all alone with no one to watch.

The minute their lips were just about to meet, Ludwig had leaned more forward to slip his arms around Feliciano's small waist. But in doing so, he had bumped into the forgotten large cup, knocking it over suddenly and the remaining of it's contents over onto his boyfriend, whom gasped in surprise at it and quickly separated.

"Veeee~ my clothes!" Ludwig could feel his face begin to burn and turn bright red from his cheeks to the tips of his ears, staring in shock at the large, noticeable white stain on his open jacket and shirt underneath, trailing spreading as the seconds passed.

"F-Feliciano...I..." Feliciano eyes closed once again and he looked up at Ludwig, cocking his head to the side obviously confused about why he seemed to be so flustered and panicked now. "That was an accident, I'm sorry..."

There wasn't many times when Ludwig would ever lose his cool and become outwardly flustered, Feliciano noted in confusion, so why was he right now? After all, he understood that it was a mistake and it wasn't a big deal. He was used to having to clean up a lot, since his brother was characteristically lazy about this subject, so the situation was mild. And clothes can always be replaced.

A carefree giggle arose from Feliciano as he leaned forward grasped Ludwig's hands. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm always such a klutz myself, so we're even I guess!" Hearing this did reassure Ludwig, but not completely. Although Feliciano did not know that.

"Yes, I know...but still..." Should he even complete that sentence? No, no may not. Ludwig glanced away and sighed, hoping that maybe the redness in his cheeks had died down a little as the time passed awkwardly. "Ugh, I should be getting back home and start studying."

"Oh..." Feliciano's smile had faltered somewhat, the edges turning into lines fast. He got up with Ludwig and slipped off his jacket, yet leaving the shirt underneath on. "Hey, um, can I please stay with you at your house for the night?" When Ludwig looked back over at Feliciano, he was not surprised to see that he was clasping his hands together and gazing up at him with a desperate expression, complete with his eyes open and shining that golden color. "Fratello will be going off an a rant and probably will take it out on me! And if he does that, then I won't be able to relax after such a long day! So PLEASE~ can I stay with you just for the night, Ludwig?"

In the end, Ludwig gave Feliciano permission to stay over at his home for the night. Those big, sparkly golden eyes always did melt his heart and break him down. Besides, if fate would stop having it out for him, this would give him plenty of chances to be alone with the Italian and they could finally kiss without mistakes or interruptions...

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

A/N: Feliciano's milkshake brings all the Germans to the yard and he's like_-_ *Shot so badly and killed*

...Ahem, yeah, anyway, it's strike two for Ludwig. But as we all know and can probably relate with; fate is just a bitch when it needs to be, isn't it? Now that he is allowing Feli to stay over at his place (since Lovino is still being all tsundere for Antonio once again), there should be enough chances for him to get him alone and have their first kiss, right? RIGHT? .-.

Feedback is highly appreciated! Please read and review, or else I'm going to make more over-used Milkshake jokes~! :3


	4. Strange Bedfellows

A/N: So sorry about the late update! Don't kill me! Hopefully this chapter will be satisfying for you readers. It's time for Ludwig's next attempt at kissing Feliciano. Now that Feli is going to be staying over at his place for the night (because tsundere Lovino is tsundere), there should be some chances that he could get him alone long enough for their lips to meet.

Fate is not on his side. Enter the not-so-supportive older brother to enter the picture and kill a lot of moments. After this night, Ludwig will probably be considering talking to their father about shipping Gilbert off somewhere else...

Disclaimer: Okay, seriously, I really am just a fan.

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter 4: Strange Bedfellows**_

_**. . .**_

How Ludwig didn't see chaos coming the minute he gave his boyfriend permission to stay over at his home for the night was utterly beyond him. He blamed getting lost in his beautiful eyes, but that wasn't even the half of it.

All he knew was that his obnoxiously-awesome older brother was correct about the fact that Feliciano may get the impression he didn't care much about him if he didn't kiss him. At least once. After all, he was more experienced in this area than he was...in all honesty, Ludwig hadn't ever fallen for anyone before and this was just so new to him. Him and the cheerful Italian had been friends for a few years and he always felt an ignited spark for him. He's just relieved that he even managed to bring himself to confess how he felt.

Sometimes, against his will, Ludwig's imagination would get the best of him. He would just randomly wonder if Feli's lips were really as soft and smooth as they looked, or how much it would spark to kiss him at least one time. Just. One. Kiss. Was all that he desired for now. Was that too much to ask, cruel fate? Was it just too much?

Well, the first two attempts to kiss him were utter failures. They almost did work out, and felt so perfect and right. Fate just had to be a bitch and make Gilbert fall from the large tree, and the large cup that contained the remains of a milkshake to be spilled. As they say, however, third time's the charm. And knowing this, the German received a little bit more of his lost confidence. He just had to make sure that it never left again, or else his third attempt at kissing his unaware boyfriend would only end in failure.

Now he didn't have a plan for once. But he just tried to remain as positive as he could be. This way, fate would have to be altered a little amount at least. Right?

The ride back to Ludwig's house was not all that eventful, Feliciano would happily babble about stuff and he would listen with just a little bit of interest; as he was sneaking glances at him in reality. The oblivious and cowardly Italian wasn't bad to look at, being too damn cute and then his usual smile that was practically a permanent part of his face. _Dreamy sigh_.

Ahem. Anyway, a little bit later, the unlikely couple arrived at the large home and it was already dark by that time. Ludwig had peered around and noticed that his father's car wasn't in the garage, he must be working late again, he assumed. And why does it seem a little too suspicious? But that is not the point at all. He got out of the car with his boyfriend and they struggled to see through the thick darkness as they made their way up the front porch and to the doorstep. Gilbert must have forgotten to turn on the light once again, how unexpected. Yes, that was sarcasam.

Now let's get to the present time. A little cautiously and slowly, Ludwig and Feliciano made their way up the steps and to the doorstep, but they were nearly clinging to each other in the process.

"Damn it, I can't find the house keys..." Ludwig grumbled over his breath, now digging furiously in his pockets for the aforementioned keys. Feliciano noticed his frustration and finally decided to release his hold on him, much to the German's silent disappointment. "Must have dropped them when we were walking up to the house. And it's way too dark to be able to look for them now..."

"Ve~ Let me help check your pockets, Ludwig!" Feliciano randomly chimed in, now nearly bouncing on the heels of his feet. But he was just trying to remain positive about the situation. It was very cold outside, and he had his messed up uniform's jacket draped over his shoulder. That didn't help at all.

"No, I don't think they're in my pockets-"

"Then let's double check!"

"But wait, why are you reaching for my-"

"Ve~ I am just checking Ludwig's back pockets!"

"I don't have back pockets..."

"Oh."

So the two just kind of stood there in awkward silence. Feliciano paused in the middle of reaching his hand out and resting it over Ludwig's ass, and the latter standing there remaining calm on the outside; but his mind going into a state of what could only be accurately described as: mayhem. And then, much to their dismay, the porch light suddenly flicked on and it cast a dim glow over the porch. And the door opened, a nineteen year old guy and girl stepping standing there.

"West? Is that you at the do..." The words died on Gilbert's lips as he fully took in the scene he and his girlfriend were greeted with. A blank and knowing look appearing on his face. While his brunette Hungarian girlfriend next to him stared with a surprised and delighted expression as her face flushed faintly. "Oh, what's going on here...?"

Immediately, Ludwig grabbed Feliciano's wrist and pulled his hand away and at his own side and then tried to insist to Gilbert and Elizaveta that the situation wasn't what it looked like at all, that they had just dropped the house keys somewhere and were looking for them. He has said all of this with a straight face, but sounding a little panicked and his face was turning bright red.

And by the time he was done explaining the situation, Gilbert just grinned. He didn't believe it at all, Ludwig and Eliaveta noted at the same time as they watched said grin appear. "Kesesese, yeah, whatever you say! But don't worry, West, we believe you."

"Gilbert..."

Elizaveta sighed under her breath, either annoyed by Gilbert or because she only got to see a few fleeting seconds of a guy groping another guy. The world may never know which reason as to why she was annoyed. But she brushed back her long brown hair and glanced over at Felicanio, immediately cracking a smile out of instinct when she saw him. "Oh hi, Feliciano. I didn't notice you for a minute there."

Having been friends with Elizaveta for a while, Feliciano returned the smile as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that he had just groped his boyfriend in the dark and two other people just witnessed it and got the wrong idea. "Ve~ Elizaveta~! What are you doing here at Ludwig's house?"

"Well..." Gilbert instantly sighed and suddenly became all sulky. " We WERE about to star making out in the living room before we heard you two out here talking. It's just not awesome getting interrupted like that."

Ludwig suddenly felt a little bit of irony kicking in. Just a little. And he shook his head, for once understanding his brother. "You're telling me."

Feliciano and Eliaveta, whom were previously happily babbling about their weeks, suddenly turned to look at the brothers with curious expressions. Both not getting what the hell they were talking about because they had not been listening at all.

_**. . .**_

After coming inside, Elizaveta decided that she should be the mature one, as opposed to her obnoxiously-awesome boyfriend who was still sulking and pouting about how their make-out session had to be put on hold and would most likely never be resumed at this point. She explained to the German and Italian that Gilbert had invited her over for a romantic night because he had gotten the impression that the two of them would be out for a while. And things were just getting hot when they we heard on the doorstep. And, while a stubborn blush rose into her cheeks that she was trying desperately to mask, she insisted to Ludwig that Feliciano had told her all about him during their friendly chats...but she hadn't the slightest clue that they were that bold enough to do those kinds of things out where they could easily be seen by passing strangers.

And, at eavesdropping on this (which was rather easy, due to them all sitting in the living room now), a smirk appeared on Gilbert's lips. "What are you talking about? This guy sitting over there on that couch doesn't even have the balls to give his boyfriend a tiny kiss on the lips! Kesesese!" All eyes suddenly fell on Ludwig, whom shifted uncomfortably at this and glanced downward at the floor, practically burning holes through it.

Elizaveta hated it when she blushed, it made her seem like any other girly girl. But she couldn't help the bright red color creeping into her cheeks now. This from a mix of being embarrassed for Ludwig because she had been in a similar situation a few years ago with that Austrian guy, and because she was something of a yaoi fan. "Well, it's understandable." She smiled in understanding and leaned back in a cozy, slouched position on the couch, now turning to look at Feliciano sitting beside her. When he gave her a curious look, she just winked.

"Ve? What do you mean?" Feliciano asked after a short period of time. Gilbert immediately broke out into a grin and was prepared to respond with some kind of vulgar comment, but his brother was quick to interrupt.

"Feliciano, just ignore what they're saying!" Ludwig quickly said, getting up from the chair he sat in and walking over to Feliciano, grabbing him by his wrist and pulling him up to his feet. The Italian just stared in confusion the whole time, miraculously unaware of his embarrassment once again.

Elizaveta tried to hide her little mischievous smirk by taking a sip of water that she had placed on the coffee table. Her awesome boyfriend liked that smirk so much, it always meant that she was up to something. "Gilbert told me that you and Feli have been dating for about a week now and haven't kissed yet." When Ludwig turned and gave her an un-amused deadpan-ish kind of look, she nodded. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it at all, I just want you to know that. Did you know that Roderich could never bring himself to be dominating and just make out with me even after two months of dating? I finally had to just do it all myself..."

"When...when did THAT happen?" Gilbert suddenly growled, now crossing his arms and scowling as he looked away. Everyone else in the room wore deadpan looks as they stared at him, really annoyed with his painfully clear jealousy. He always could get a little pissed off at the mere thought or mentioning of Roderich and Elizaveta doing something intimate.

Finally, Elizaveta groaned, rubbed her forehead, and looked back at her boyfriend's brother. "My point is that you don't have to rush things. Feliciano...I know him very well, he probably doesn't even know you're DYING to kiss him anyway."

Feliciano turned and walked back over to Ludwig, staring up at him in confusion at what he had overheard. He wasn't entirely sure about what he and Elizaveta were talking about, as he had just been lost in his own little world and admiring the decorations in his boyfriend's home and how clean and orderly he made it. All he saw was Gilbert grinning, Elizaveta wearing a knowing expression that was more milder than the awesome guy's, and Ludwig looking extremely embarrassed and a bright red blush appearing across his face and spreading to the very tips of his ears.

"Ve? What are you talking about?" Feli innocently asked, absentmindedly smiling at this point. Before Elizaveta could truthfully answer that, Ludwig just turned and grabbed his tiny wrist and started dragging him away with him; muttering some stuff about how he had to get settled into the guest room since he was going to be staying there for the night.

But he didn't forget to give his brother an annoyed look before he disappeared down the large hallway with the terribly confused Italian. He didn't need to be embarrassed any more by him. It was bad enough that he painfully pointed out that, in Feliciano's range of hearing, what he was trying to do.

There was something about this particular subject that made him feel extremely embarrassed. It wasn't because the one he wanted to lock lips with was Feliciano, not at all. It was just that...well...you know. He had no experience with romance and was totally clueless about what to do. He considered accepting advice, but the only person that would willingly give him assistance would be Gilbert. No explanation necessary for that one.

Now all alone in the dim-lit living room once again, Gilbert glanced around irritatedly before his gaze fell back on the brunette Hungarian sitting on the couch. Nearly at an impossible speed, he suddenly appeared beside her and sneakily reached an arm for her shoulder-

"Gilbert, it's obvious that their relationship is going to get pretty awkward and dull if the sparks keep dying like this!" Elizaveta mentioned, shifting to the other side of the couch and sitting there delicately, Gilbert's arm was just now suspended in the air and he glared evilly at his fail move. "Feliciano is always talking about your brother nonstop, his world practically revolves solely around him! And I'm sure that he's thrilled to be in a relationship; he hasn't found someone he truly had feelings for since his old childhood love. So if their relationship fails, I'm going to be pretty pissed off about it and a certain someone will have to face the wrath..."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me that. Kesesese, West is hopelessly in love with that cute Italian! He always is bringing him up in a conversation in some way, and he gets so embarrassed at the thought of even holding his hand! It's just NOT awesome, Elizaveta..." Gilbert mentioned, now lying back on the couch and staring up at the high ceiling.

After a few minutes, Elizaveta looked back at her obnoxiously-awesome boyfriend and cracked a smile. One of her amazing smiles that always made his cruel heart skip a beat. But it wasn't an innocent one, it meant she was up to something. "There's so much tension between them now. Feli and Ludwig really must be dying to get a taste of each others' lips." He couldn't help it, some immature snickers escaped from Gilbert's lips when he thought that she was going to say they wanted to get a taste of something COMPLETELY different.

Elizaveta clasped her hands together happily, saying, "The only way that this wonderful relationship will be saved is if they kiss."

"Elizaveta...what about our relationship?"

"Huh?"

"I'd like to get back to where we paused earlier," A devious smirk twisted onto Gilbert's lips as he reached for the nearby lamp and turned it off, leaving the living room in total thick darkness. But his crimson eyes were adjusted to it by now, and he seemingly forgot all about his little brother's inexperience with romance and suggestively shifted closer to his girlfriend.

Elizaveta once again dodged him almost obliviously and leaned back against the couch. Annoyed by this, Gilbert was close to doing some rather drastic; but he wasn't about to give up. He just inched closer to her once again and sneaked his hand to around her lower back, he found himself just touching air when he noticed that she was now standing up. "Someone needs to help them whether they know it or not."

"Yeah, that's true, now can we just make out already?" Gilbert whined, now getting up from the couch as well. He just wanted some action, dammit! He hadn't gotten any in a few months now and it was driving him to the point of hysteria (Read: Forever Alone...). But Elizaveta either intentionally or unintentionally ignored his constant advances and started pacing the floor while she mumbled things that they might be able to do to get them to kiss.

Somehow, Gilbert had this horrible feeling that he wouldn't be getting anything at all. Which really sucked bigtime for him: because he already went through so much trouble to buy those extra condoms and prepare himself...

_**. . .**_

Much to Ludwig's disappointment, the night kind of flew by and he hadn't had a chance to get himself together and kiss the hopelessly-oblivious Italian.

Well, he did have at least two chances when he was helping him with some of his homework. But at the time, his brain had short-circuited due to the shock of them being so close and wouldn't respond with his actions. Sadly, confused Feliciano was confused and didn't understand what was happening. He just sat there at the desk with this adorable concerned expression.

Before the doomed German knew it, it was late at night and he found himself exhausted from the events of the day and all the stress and pressure weighing his mind. So he showed Feliciano to the guest bedroom down the hall and then went back to his own and prepared to crash for the night.

At least twenty-three seconds after Ludwig's head hit the pillow, he could hear faint footsteps and then the knob on his door being turned. His eyes opened and he released a sigh, immediately assuming that this visitor was most likely his brother coming to ramble about his predicament or just ranting about how Elizaveta was a clever bitch and would somehow always ignore his awesome advances. But when he shifted up into a sitting position and glanced at the unexpected visitor...

He performed a double-take.

There, standing in the doorway of his bedroom. Was Feliciano. Let's just say that he was getting receiving a view of a little bit more of him than he needed to see. The Italian had closed the door behind him and then trembled a little as he walked over to the bed, he was wearing pretty much nothing except for his t-shirt that was wrinkled and hardly covered anything since it was half off. He must have just gotten out of bed because he was rubbing his closed eyes and his hair was a mess.

Obviously, Ludwig's eyes must have had a perverted mind of their own. They kept trying to look a little bit lower than what they should have been. But he tried desperately to stop himself, with a mental slap to the face.

"Feliciano, why are you..." Mental face slap, mental face slap. "Why are you in here?"

"Well...um..." Feliciano hesitated for a minute, just twiddling his fingers a little nervously. Ludwig was just plain caught off guard by the way that he didn't seem to care that he was practically naked. "Sometimes whenever I can't sleep or just feel lonely, I crawl into Fratello's bed. But he isn't here so...I...was wondering if I could sleep with Ludwig? Ve~ Besides, the bed in the guest room is way too firm."

His face flushed a light shade of red as the awkward seconds passed. Ludwig wasn't sure how he should react to this kind of situation. He already knew that Feli liked to sleep with others whether they knew it or not, and this technically was not the first time he's seen him almost completely naked. Yet, he was embarrassed enough for the both of them.

Which begs the question, why wasn't Feliciano the least bit self-conscious? Wait, now he realized after a few more seconds of thinking. Yeah.

"Ah...I guess you could-"

"Veee~! Grazie~!" The next thing Ludwig knew, Feliciano had just about materialized on the other side of the bed and pulled his shirt up over his head with an ever-present absent smile. Now completely naked, he pulled back the covers and slipped up underneath them, immediately sighing contently.

As awkward as this was, Ludwig found himself strangely okay with being in the same bed with him. It's not like they were both naked anyway, and the Italian was on the other side and not too close. He couldn't help but wonder...how did fate always have to give him these kinds of situations? He couldn't KISS his boyfriend, but he could get him in BED? Wait, what?

Before Ludwig could close his eyes and try and drift off to sleep, he heard Feliciano groan a little and rub his eyes, complaining about the lit lamp that was blinding him. So with a sigh, he reached over and turned out the lamp; his response was an approving "Veeee~" as the Italian snuggled deeper into the covers.

So now that they were in total darkness, Ludwig shifted over onto his right side and tried to drift off to sleep. Then he felt the bed move a little bit and a warm body snuggle up beside him and an arm be carelessly tossed over his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and he could feel another telltale blush sneak onto his cheeks. Thank God for the darkness they were in. And the heat only intensified when Feliciano's smooth leg slowly brushed across his own, sending a jolt down his his spine. His heartbeat increased quickly as the sleeping Italian relaxed his head against his muscular body, he could imagine that his expression was probably blissful and at peace.

Ludwig's expression just screamed "what the fuck?" meanwhile. But as he lied there and listened to Feliciano's slow and light breathing, felt his chest rise and fall against his body, and felt him nuzzle his exposed shoulder, he eventually relaxed and his eyes fluttered closed. Hey, maybe he does seem pretty careless on the outside, but he just hadn't the heart to push the Italian away. And he was liking the extra heat and this strange feeling of happiness that was welling up unexpectedly. Maybe he was about to go to sleep knowing that he failed to try and make a move, but there was a silver lining in this dark cloud: he managed to figure out that sleeping with him, in a non-sexual way mind you, was actually comfortable.

That was the German's last thought. Before he drifted off to sleep.

_**. . .**_

"Ve~ Ludwig, Ludwig..." Feliciano repeatedly said in a quiet tone as he sat up and gently nudged his bedfellow's shoulder. After about ten times, his boyfriend groaned tiredly and sat up rubbing his eyes and brushing back his messy blond bangs. "Oh, you're awake."

"What? Is it morning already?" Ludwig irritatedly asked him, now trying to hold back a tired yawn. He had been sleeping well, actually. He almost forgot that he was even in bed with the Italian too.

"No...we've only been asleep for an hour, I think."

Ludwig felt his eye twitch. But he tried to not get pissed off at this rude awakening. "Well, what is it?"

"Ve~ I can't sleep. It may be because it's been a little while since I've slept away from home." Feliciano sighed and rested his chin on his palm. The covers over his chest slowly fell and he didn't seem to care at all.

"Try reading a good book or something." Ludwig suggested, leaning against the pillow. "Usually, reading aids in making you tired." Feliciano just sighed and glanced away. "Just try it. I have some books on that shelf in the corner of the room. Even if they're not the kind of genre you like, at least it will make you bored quicker."

"Okay...I'll try that!" So Feliciano threw back the covers and walked over to the bookshelf. He was once again randomly humming a tune as he started glancing at the titles of them and searching for something of interest.

Despite being tired from that rude awakening he had received, Ludwig couldn't help but watch him intensely scan the shelves. It wasn't just because he was admiring his slim and alluring body mind you, it was because of his determination over the simplest things. When it came to a situation that was huge and important, the Italian didn't seem to be the least bit determined to take it on at all. Yet, he was ready to take on a small task: notably cooking up some pasta dish or skimming bookshelves. Go figure.

Finally his eyelids suddenly felt like they were growing heavier. In a matter of seconds, Ludwig lied back against the pillow and his eyes fluttered closed. Yet, for some reason, he had this strange feeling like it was a mistake to allow Feliciano to skim through his bookshelf. Almost like fate was going to be a bitch again; causing something unfortunate to occur just as it had been all day long...

"Ve? Is that a naked...ahhh!" Ludwig's eyes immediately popped open and widened. Vaguely, he could hear Feliciano screeching in shock, but he was mostly hearing 'FUUUUUU-He didn't-!' ringing in his head.

"F-Feliciano, that isn't..." Shit, he shouldn't have left his porn stashes in the bookshelf! That was the biggest fail he could have possibly made in his life! Why didn't he just hide it safely underneath his bed like a normal person would, why? "I mean, it isn't what it looks like!"

Feliciano's face flushed a bright red as he hurriedly closed the magazine that had just stripped his eyes of their innocence and he turned it around hastily as to not see the cover that was equally as explicit as what he had witnessed. "Ludwig...you read look at this kind of stuff?" Ludwig just slipped out from under the covers and walked over, his face near as red as a cherry and he would have been perfectly fine with the world ending right then and there. But, no such luck.

How could he get out of this...mortifying predicament? "Wow, I guess Francis was right after all."

"Francis?" Ludwig blinked repeatedly, wondering why the hell Feli had brought up their perverted French classmate like he had just done.

"He told me once that everyone has a perverted side." Feliciano walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, trying his hardest to not take a glance at the magazine that he hadn't even noticed he was still holding. And Ludwig just stared, his face burning now, practically about to burst into flames at this rate. He quickly walked over and snatched the magazine, dropping it to the floor and kicking it underneath the bed. "Ludwig?"

"Mein Gott, that was embarrassing..."

Feliciano just stared in confusion. "I don't think so. I've seen things that were possibly much worse then those collections of magazines...at Kiku's house."

"That's true." Ludwig muttered, glancing away and taking a seat on the bed beside the Italian. It was actually their Japanese friend that had been keeping him more hooked with those dirty magazines, and the both of them had sworn to keep quiet about that. But now... "Feliciano..."

Much to Ludwig's surprise, Feliciano suddenly smiled absently and brought a hand to his mouth in vain to cover a yawn. All this excitement must have been making him tireder. And ever so slowly, he leaned to the left onto Ludwig's shoulder and rested his head comfortably. "Ve~ don't be embarrassed about what just happened. You know how I am; I'll probably...just forget about it by morning anyway."

'_Strangely, he's got a point._' Ludwig looked down at his boyfriend, now probably falling asleep as he was silent except for breathing softly and faintly. '_What am I worried about? Feliciano can be spacy most of the time, and he'll probably think all of what just happened in those severely embarrassing few minutes was just a random dream. At least, I hope so._'

But now that the chaos had managed to calm down, and everything was silent and peaceful as they sat there in the darkness, Ludwig was not sure whether he should crawl back into bed or not. As he eyed the sleeping Italian resting his head against his upper arm, he didn't want to disturb his sleep. But this wasn't the most comfortable position for him either.

It didn't help that Feliciano looked so...so peaceful and nearly angelic in his sleep. It was as if his world had no worries whatsoever and he could always fall asleep quickly and soundly without a care. Through the darkness, the German took in his smile and slowly rising and falling exposed chest. Maybe even if he did move and crawled back, Feli wouldn't be able to even feel it. So maybe he should just...

Wait a minute. What was he doing now? As the seconds passed, Ludwig's eyes widened more and more as he watched the sleeping Italian shift around a little and then turn his head and leaned up towards his lips. He was sleepily mumbling some things about sports and pasta, but that was fleeting as he either intentionally or unintentionally closed the distance between them. Yes, this was a huge shock and it was confusing. The freaked German wasn't quite sure what to think about this or how to react.

Somehow...he liked the turn this whole situation was taking. Seems like fate wasn't such a bitch after all: because just like something out of a bad movie, his sleeping boyfriend seemed to be trying to hint at something. Whether he was just faking it to be sly and get what he wanted, or was honestly asleep and unable to control himself with whatever dream he must have been experiencing, Ludwig made up his mind. It was time to sneak a kiss, fall asleep happily, and then perhaps give himself a pat on the back the next morning. ...As an afterthought; maybe he would even rub it in his brother's face that he could kiss him without his assistance.

Blinded by the rush and satisfaction of the moment, Ludwig moved in closer to the Italian and his hands had sneakily encircled his bare waist and held him in this cliche-romance-movie time of way. In his state of eagerness, his eyes closed and he licked his lips. The only sounds he could hear was his boyfriend's breathing against his cheek as he "just happened" to tilt his head up.

They were killing the distance fast. Too fast. Their lips were _just about_ to make long-awaited contact any second now and the suspense was almost too much for Ludwig to handle. He didn't stop to think that Feliciano may awaken and be confused as ever, or that maybe someone – Gilbert – could be a cockblock and interrupt the moment. No, he was just ready to do this.

'_This is it...just stay asleep, Feliciano and-_'

The door suddenly flung open with a loud _BANG_. The noise and shock caused both Feliciano and Ludwig's eyes to snap open and they both could only stare as they both fell back onto the bed. Light now flooding into the room, a dark shade of red creeping into their cheeks as they realized what was going on and turned to glance at the open doorway.

There was Elizaveta, standing there in the doorway with her brunette hair pulled back in a long ponytail and wearing a short and skimpy pale green nightie. She appeared to be frozen in embarrassment as she stared at the scene before her eyes, which were widening as just about her whole pace turned a light shade of pink.

But why was she surprised by the scene she was greeted with? Well, the answer is rather simple and straight to the point. Ludwig – with his blond spiked bangs tousled, falling over his forehead, and wearing just a tank top and underwear – lied over a completely naked Feliciano very suggestively, it appeared that he was pinning him down to, you know, get some.

"Ve...?"

"E-Elizaveta...I...this..."

"I-I'm sorry, you guys...I didn't mean to, uh, disturb you...but the door was unlocked..."

And naturally, Gilbert just had to run in. Literally. He could be heard rapidly descending down the hall and then he almost tripped trying to push aside Elizaveta. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT...noise..."

Feliciano, although confused about what was going on, dared to smile nervously at the bewildered witnesses and wave as though this was just a casual situation. Meanwhile, Ludwig would have been perfectly fine with the world splitting in half and ended right then and there, to just take him away from this incredibly awkward moment. But, _sigh_, there was no such luck. Then again, has there ever been?

"I was going to stay over here tonight, but I had gotten the rooms messed up in the darkness..." Elizaveta recapped as she tapped her fingers together nervously, trying to not let the guys see how incredibly embarrassed she felt for...all three. Even though Gilbert wasn't in the position they were in (why does that sound so wrong?). "When I noticed the door was unlocked I just let myself in without thinking...um...I'm really sorry about the interruption!"

"Interruption...?" Realization slowly dawned on Ludwig and he begun sputtering somewhat, but not _that _noticeably. "Wait, this isn't what it looks like at all!"

His protests only failed. Gilbert was still grinning and Elizaveta was still trying in vain to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Kesesese! I'm glad to see that you're finally giving in to all that sexual tension, West! We'll leave you alone, just forget that we were EVER here in the first place~" So, Gilbert grabbed his girlfriend's wrist and dragged her out of the doorway with him, closing the door loudly behind them.

Slowly and awkwardly, Ludwig pulled away from the happy-go-lucky Italian underneath him and tried very hard to register in his head what the hell had just happened. Upon realizing, he could only feel his face heat up in embarrassment; at both Gilbert and Elizaveta's perverted interpretations and being caught in such a way with Feliciano, and the fact that he had once again failed epically in having that kiss. Just when he had thought that fate was willing to give him _one goddamn chance_.

Feliciano tilted his head cutely and then crawled closer to where Ludwig sat on the bed, he mimicked his position and wrapped his arms around his neck, attempting to be a little comforting in his moment of mortification and utter angst. How he wasn't the tiniest bit affected by what had occurred just now, Ludwig would never know. "Ve~ why don't we just go back to sleep?"

Reluctantly, Ludwig removed his hands from his face and sighed as he turned and ran his fingers over the Italian's cheek softly. "Feliciano, let's never speak of this night ever again."

"Ve?"

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

I'm lying in bed with my laptop, weak and sick from this horrible cold I caught the other day. And yet, I felt bad for not updating on time and decided to give you this long and suspenseful, awkward chapter. You better like it, or else you will be hunted down and shot. ;P LOL, just kidding.

It is strike three for Ludwig. How unfortunate. *Sad face* But have no fear, because he isn't giving up that easily. Maybe next time he tries to kiss his unaware BF, he will have come up with a good strategy that had no weak points whatsoever. Maybe. Or maybe not.

Poor Gilbert had himself a Forever Alone moment in this chapter, he clearly is in no position to tease his little brother about losing that special someone when he can't even have a perfect chance to get some from Elizaveta. But that's okay, because, Gilbert always gets it any he wants it, 'cuz that's the way he needs it(cookies for you if you get the reference here)~

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please read and review. :]


	5. Advice from Elizabeta

A/N: I would probably provide some kind of joke right here, but I'm ready to just skip right to the chapter. Because now, after the first three fails, Ludwig realizes that he may need some assistance after all. But it sure isn't going to be from his 'supportive' brother, it's going to be from someone he believes that is actually on his side.

Elizabeta.

Wait a minute, that might be just as bad as coming to Gilbert for help...

Disclaimer: Even if I did own Hetalia, nothing about the world would really change.

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter 5: Advice From Elizabeta**_

_**. . .**_

He felt silly for having to get romantic advice. Ludwig really did.

What other choice did he have? Let Feliciano Vargas slip right through his fingers? It had taken him a little while to come to realize that he thought of the Italian way beyond that of a friend, and then work up the nerve to be able to confess right to his face and clearly out loud that he had feelings for him. But he finally did it and felt like everything was in balance and harmony.

Until that moment when the two of them finished watching movies and stood right out there on the front porch, the soft moonlight falling down and the stillness overcoming them. They were standing so close, looking into each others' eyes searching for the answers as to what they should do next. He could not explain the feeling, but Ludwig just knew that it seemed to be so perfect. He would have leaned in and planted a kiss on those lips if he just wasn't so...so...awkward? Nervous? Doubtful? In denial? Ugh, he didn't know.

So he realized later, after some 'helpful urging' from his older brother Gilbert, that Feliciano might begin to take his lack of romantic gestures as a dreaded sign that he didn't think much of him and wasn't even interested in taking a step beyond a friendship. Since then, fate has decided to be an evil bitch and make his plans screw up and several screw-ups to occur whenever he tried to kiss him.

Now in the present time, it was late in the afternoon and school was over. Before Ludwig returned back home, he decided that he would stop somewhere else. Elizabeta's home. Gilbert had urged him earlier that morning to visit her at her home and get romance advice. Frankly, he wasn't positive that this would work out. It was true that he didn't know anything about romance and didn't know how he could possibly find a way to have that much-awaited first kiss. But was he going to the correct person for the advice? Would the Hungarian girl really be able to help him?

Elizabeta's house was in sight now, it was somewhat small in size because she only lived there with her mother. Ludwig had to silent admit though, it actually looked endearing and comfortable. He pulled up in her driveway, pulled the key from the ignition, but he still sat there in the car for a few moments. Glancing into the mirror to make sure that his appearance was okay. He looked okay, he guessed, brushing back some stray stands of his hair.

Soon, Ludwig opened the car door and got out. With a _SLAM_, the door was closed and he made his up to the front porch that had a covering over it for shade from the sunlight.

'_Elizabeta is worried about what might happen to your relationship if you don't get your freaking act together and kiss that cute little Italian already. To be honest, so am I! Seriously, little bruder, you're going to lose him because he'll think that you _don't _want to do anything like that with him!_' Gilbert had told Ludwig before he left for the school that morning. Just as he had gotten into the car. '_But have no fear, West! She says that if you ever need any advice from a girl's point of view, she would be more than willing to help. Trust me._'

'_But why would I need advice from a girl's point of view? Feliciano is...oh, I get it._' Ludwig had said afterward, breaking the original argument because he soon realized that it was invalid.

So this was how he ended up standing on Elizabeta's doorstep, knocking on the front door just loud enough for her to be able to hear even if she was on the second floor, probably. Since he was a patient person, he waited for a few moments for someone to answer. Finally, after several long seconds, the door swung open and the German found himself face-to-face with...Feliciano?

Feliciano beamed as soon as he noticed that the visitor was Ludwig. He must have came over here immediately after school because he was still dressed in his school uniform. "Ve~ Ciao, Ludwig! What are you doing here at Elizabeta's?"

Well, this sucked. If Feliciano was here too, how would Ludwig be able to get any advice from Elizabeta? There was no doubt that the blissfully unaware Italian would overhear the conversation, and it would feel embarrassing to know that someone was aware he needed to get advice on romance of all the things in the world.

Nevertheless, Ludwig didn't mind encountering Feli again. He liked being in his presence of course, there was just something about it that really brightened the mood. But, ahem, that is beside the point. His expression softened somewhat and he greeted him with that usual greeting involving kissing the both of his lightly blushing cheeks and made him wonder...how could he be able to kiss his cheeks, but not his lips?

"Ve~ I came over here to talk with Elizabeta before I went back home. Because...well...I forgot to tell Fratello that I had spent the night at Ludwig's house when I returned this morning. And I didn't want him to yell at me or resort to violence to express his rage." Feliciano answered quietly, his smile faltering somewhat as he thought about how Lovino may react when he tells him that he had spent the night over at Ludwig's. Seeing as he really hated his guts and wanted him to die. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I needed to talk with Elizabeta privately. Is she home?"

Feliciano nodded happily. "She's in the living room. I'll take you there!"

_**. . .**_

Elizabeta's home was surprisingly well-decorated and had this pleasant feel to it. Despite having never been in here before, it had this charm that made Ludwig's tension about getting advice from her, with Feliciano, possibly eavesdropping, at ease. He was led through the house by the hand until they reached the living room.

Once in the living room, they spotted Elizabeta sitting at the couch greeting them with a kind smile. This wasn't entirely forced, but she was secretly a little disappointed that Ludwig had given into Gilbert's annoying persuading so fast and came over sooner than originally hoped.

She had just been discussing a certain topic with Feliciano that they hadn't gotten to finish with the German here. Her friend had been confiding to her that he was concerned about Ludwig lately; as he's been acting a little tense lately. He also had confessed that there's been quite a few moments of them having almost kisses, but getting interrupted each time. Just when the Hungarian girl had leaned forward in an expecting manner and opened her mouth to ask him what his true thoughts concerning that are and where he assumed their relationship would lead if they did not share a kiss, Ludwig had knocked on the door.

But maybe this _didn't_ change anything. Perhaps fate was on her side and was dropping off Ludwig here at the house just when her and Feliciano were discussing the whole situation as a sign that this was her chance to get them to share just _one_ kiss! All she would have to do is hold a positive and upbeat attitude and there was no doubt that she could bring them together!

'_Just play it cool and pleasantly surprised by him dropping by and do not let him suspect anything..._' "Hello, Ludwig~ what brings you by my home?" Elizabeta arose from the couch and walked over to the two, this natural friendly smile on her face. And it was unwavering.

'_I can't let Feliciano overhear what I'm about to ask her..._' "I just came to speak with you privately about something." Ludwig turned to meet Feliciano's beaming face and coughed and glanced away. "Emphasis on _privately_."

Feliciano just looked back and forth between the two. At first, he didn't understand why Ludwig seemed to be a little tense and Elizabeta had this suspicious gleam in her eyes. But it all came together and he took the hint and said it was okay for them to talk privately, that he would sit there on the couch and patiently wait for them.

Nodding, Elizabeta arose from the couch and led Ludwig into the kitchen; out of Feliciano's earshot...

**. . .**

"...And you don't know how you are going to be able to get him somewhere alone to kiss him?" Elizabeta asked, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall as she eyed Ludwig. Once he nodded at her words, giving her the sign that she was correct. A small smile tugged at her lips, but she refused to let it go through. She couldn't let him know she was amused by this. "It sounds to me like this is a problem...luckily, you've gotten my interest. So, I want you to know that I am very focused and willing to give you any kind of advice that you need!"

"You make it sound simple..."

"Oh, but it is!" Ludwig just gave her this deadpan expression at her sudden cheerful attitude. "I can't say I know exactly how you feel, but I know what you should do." Elizabeta walked over to him and then jerked a thumb at the closed door that separated the kitchen and living room. "Feliciano, I'm sure you know how he is by now. Listen to me, he really does have feelings for you, but I can sense that he's concerned lately...about this whole relationship."

A sigh passed Ludwig's lips. "He isn't the only one."

"Yes, I think we all know where this is going..." Elizabeta frowned and began walking back and forth across the tiled flooring, occasionally taking a glance back at the door as if looking at her friend behind it. "If something...passionate doesn't happen soon, your relationship will be sort of rocky. And Feliciano, may begin to let his imagination wander over to outlandish scenarios of why you won't show him how you feel."

"But he knows how I am." Ludwig cut in, hoping that this would actually get the discussion somewhere. Maybe he shouldn't have revealed to her his doubts and thoughts about the whole situation if she was going to focus on this side of it.

Elizabeta nodded and glanced away. "That is true, Ludwig. Okay, let's just get to the point," She clapped her hands together and then smiled as her worried pacing stopped. "I think I may know of a way to get him in a nice place to kiss him. But you'll have to wait until Friday; when you both go to the movies, Feli told me about your plans, just saying."

So, what was she planning? Well, Ludwig was not completely sure. But he knew that she must be suggesting that he should try and kiss him while they were out at the movies. The question here, is still: would he really be able to do that?

Elizabeta went on to explain that it would be the ideal setting to have that kiss. Why wouldn't it be, she argued, because it's nice and dark. Maybe there would be other people around, but their actions would not even be detected by any spectators if they were sitting up at the very top. And even though she swore to him that it would work out and that he should try it, because this worked out when her and Gilbert had gone on their first date together...

Ludwig remained a little uneasy. Because, he could recall the night that his brother and Elizabeta had gone out to the movies, it was their first date. And Gilbert returned home with a swollen cheek; claiming in a dreamy state that he had gotten slapped after sneaking a rough (somewhat one-sided) make-out session with her. But it was totally worth it in hindsight.

Then again...Feliciano wasn't exactly the violent type. Even when angered or provoked. He still couldn't do any harm, or have any strength to do it. So maybe, just maybe, things would work out. Elizabeta approved the suggestion once Ludwig declared he would wait until the following night to kiss him during the movie. And she even swore to him that she would not let Feliciano know about his motives.

Alas, there was a catch: Elizabeta had said this with her fingers crossed behind her back.

**. . .**

A/N: Elizabeta, you're a sneaky one... :|

So the major question is: will this advice that she had given Ludwig work out in the end? Will he finally be able to kiss him with the help of her and the dimmed lights inside the theater, plus some awkwardly-cute hand holding and accidental brushes in the darkness? Oh, you will just have to wait and see the results! But if it's a long wait, I am so sorry just in case. *Cowards behind a bullet proof shield, as she is sick of getting those well-deserved shots*

This is off-topic, but I keep spelling Elizabeta's name wrong, aren't I? I keep saying "Elizaveta" instead of "Elizabeta". Sometimes, I forget the official spelling. Stupid me.

Please read and review, they keep me alive! ...No wait, breathing, loads of coffee, and anime is what does that... :/ Oh well, ignore my babbling and give me some comments! *Laughs nervously*


	6. The Big Date 1

A/N: Now let's see if Elizabeta's advice will be of any help to Ludwig as he puts it into action on his upcoming big date with Feliciano. It seems simple: all he must do is let the both of them get immersed into the movie they would be viewing. And once the time was right, make little contact like accidental brushes of the hands until the mood was set right to kiss. Even if it does feel...a little awkward for him.

FATE HAS OTHER IDEAS. D:

Disclaimer: If I owned Hetalia Axis Powers, nothing about the world would change. Wait, what?

**. . .**

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter Seven: The Big Date I**_

**. . .**

Maybe Elizabeta's advice would work after all. Maybe Elizabeta's advice would work after all. That same sentence was on an endless repeat in Ludwig's mind for a while until the next night in the current time.

In the current time, Ludwig stepped into his bathroom taking one quick glance at his cellphone before placing it on the sink counter. It was still early in the night, and the movie he and Feliciano were going to see on this exciting Friday night wouldn't be starting for at least three more hours. That gave him more than enough time to take a quick shower, get dressed, and fix his hair. And he could be doing all of this while mindlessly fantasizing about what might happen in that dark movie theater; their first kiss to be specific.

To be fair: Ludwig was not one to randomly day dream about whoever person that has managed to interest him. This really did call for it. After all, weren't Italians usually so experienced when it came to the whole romance concept? It seemed that way to him, he had always seen Feliciano randomly sweet-talking beautiful and even average looking females before. He has also been on like several dates, at least, that was what he would always turn around and tell him and Kiku between classes.

This night would have to go accordingly to his plan. Otherwise, screw-ups may occur and break everything and Elizabeta's advice would have all been for nothing. Ludwid didn't want to let Feliciano, Elizabeta, or himself down like that. So with careful planning and actions, and thoroughly thinking out all that he would do and say was critical. Was he over-doing this? Hell yes. Did he care? Nope.

His head was full of all kinds of scenarios about how the two of them would kiss. Some involving them accidentally brushing against each other and then the two would turn and gaze into the others' eyes, before carefully leaning in and connecting their lips. And at one point, Ludwig actually considered changing the plans of what movie they would be seeing to a horror; that way, knowing how cowardly the Italian was, he would most likely end up with him in his lap as he trembled and latched onto him for some kind of comfort. Just as he stripped off his clothes and entered the shower, he blushed faintly and was quick to clear away the last scenario, as that one would probably end with all eyes in the theater staring at the guy freaking out and literally all over another guy. Maybe that would be somewhat embarrassing on second thought...

As the warm water cascaded down his body and he grabbed a washrag and began to lather it up, yet another scenario entered Ludwig's mind. He couldn't stop it this time, so his eyes fluttered closed, he allowed himself to think about this at least a few more seconds.

**. . .**

_It was totally dark in the theater, except for the movie playing on the large screen. Everyone seemed to be getting absorbed in it, letting themselves get the full mood of the plot and characters. Ludwig and Feliciano were seated on the very top that was pretty much empty. This way, there was no one to stare at them awkwardly should any romantic touches or touching of the lips be exchanged._

_The movie must have been playing for about thirty minutes by now, maybe more. Ludwig just wasn't sure, he could barely even pay full attention with his boyfriend at his side smiling and happily "veeee-ing" at the appropriate calm and happy moments, clawing his seet at moments with action or the occasional drama, and giggling at the comic relief. He had not even seen the certain movie before, and yet he was alert to the mood of whatever scene. How interesting..._

_Finally, Feliciano suddenly turned his attention away from the movie during a moment with the characters discussing something not very relevant to the plot and inched closer to Ludwig purposely, "veee-ing" softly as his head brushed briefly against his muscular arm. Surprised a little, Ludwig glanced at him and blinked repeatedly._

"_Ludwig, I have to tell you something..." A faint blush dusted across the Italian's cheeks endearingly, Ludwig couldn't see it clearly in the darkness but he had the impression was visible._

"_What is it, Feliciano?"_

"_Ve~ well, it's just that," He seemed to be fumbling a little, trying to figure out the word's in his head. But as Feliciano continued, the tone he was using was sounding more relaxed and casual. "There is something that I have been wanting to do for a while." He said nothing else, his eyes that were already closed were less tight and the wrinkles of worry across his forehead were gone as he tried as hard as he could to lift his head up and lean closer and closer to the German's lips._

_Maybe he looked composed and totally calm on the outside, but honestly, Ludwig could feel his heart beat way too erratically compared to what it should have been. For a brief moment, he was self-conscious about anybody else being able to hear it. His cheeks flushed hotly, but the blush luckily didn't get too excessive as the Italian's lips came closer to his own, waiting for them to meet._

_'Ja ... ja ... es ist schließlich der perfekte Moment, um ihn zu küssen ... bitte lassen Sie sich nicht etwas zu unterbrechen …' As if he had no control over his actions, Ludwig leaned forward to meet Feliciano's lips._

_Time slowed down altogether as the two continued to forget everything else in the world and just finally freaking kiss already..._

**. . .**

And then Ludwig's eyes snapped open in shock once the water flowing from the shower head suddenly felt scorching hot. He cursed loudly and took a brief moment to back away from it and cool his burning skin.

It took several seconds, but he finally cooled off somewhat and angrily grasped an edge of the dark blue curtain, pulling it back somewhat and sticking his head out, only to be greeted by the aggravating sight of his older brother standing near the toilet and laughing that obnoxious, pretty much trademark laugh of his.

"Why, Gilbert?" Was all that Ludwig could ask through gritted teeth after meeting the deviously glinting crimson eyes of his brother.

"I slipped in a few minutes ago to get some towels and noticed your silhouette just standing totally still underneath the water, figured you could use a little blast of burning water to get you back out of your random daydreams of that cute Italian of yours." Gilbert replied, grinning rather impishly before turning, remembering to get those towels that he had come in here to get originally before getting the impression his little bro had gotten lost in his usual daydreams about Feliciano.

His cheeks flushed lightly, from the uncomfortable embarrassment of why or _how_ Gilbert knew that it was Feliciano he was thinking about. But he maintained the pissed expression he usually wore in these appropriate moments. "Was it really necessary to burn me to death?" As an afterthought, Ludwig glanced at the towels his brother was holding onto and stared awkwardly. "Wait, why do you need towels?"

"...Er, forget it." Gilbert turned to walk back to the door, and he was just about to open it and step out. But that was when he spun around with yet another impish grin across his features. "Hey, forget the movies; cute little Feli might rather like fucking in the shower~"

"GET OUT."

"Kesesesese~ from what I saw the other night in the bedroom, you two probably shouldn't even need to worry about kissing him. Just skip to the real fun-"

"Gilbert...!"

Laughing that obnoxious laugh of his, Gilbert took his leave and loudly closed the door behind him. It was a good thing that he had left when he did, Ludwig would probably have gotten a little too excited about that whole idea involving Feliciano, him, the shower, and a one hell of a rush of adrenaline.

As tempting as that was, he just felt like it would be rushing the relationship. And besides, it would probably be the first time for the both of them and if they were getting all worked up and tense over a first kiss; how would they be for doing _it_ the first time? Ugh, damn Gilbert, he could be such a pervert sometimes! The things that he would say and do...this was why Ludwig was more than willing to move out and find somewhere to live temporarily before it was time to pack up and go to college!

Now, all thanks to him, the image of Feliciano totally naked in the shower panting and drenched (in more ways than one) would not leave his mind, no matter how hard he tried to block it out. So, with a final sigh, the German just brushed his hands through his wet blond bangs and disappeared behind the curtain.

Maybe he shouldn't be so hasty and block out the image so soon...

**. . .**

Feliciano knew that he really, really, really liked Ludwig and was happy that he had actually managed to get him to accept that sudden, unrehearsed confession that he just wanted to say for a while. But, then again, he was _Italian_ after all. It was only natural that he would have won the guy, am I right?

After all, Ludwig was such a great guy in his eyes. He could write up this huge, never-ending list about all of the things that he liked. But what made him feel great the most was that he admitted that he felt the same way, even if he said so obviously nervously and shyly avoiding as much eye contact as possible. Feliciano could be cowardly...and bouncy, clingy, overly cheerful, blissfully unaware of important things going on around him, and he certainly wasn't very physically strong. And yet, Ludwig could still put these somewhat-annoying traits aside and he decided to take their relationship to a higher step beyond a simple ambiguous friendship.

He sighed dreamily as he propped himself up on his elbows. Feliciano couldn't wait for the big date, this would be the first time that they were going somewhere public where others could see them and their relationship would be revealed to all random spectators. This would be wonderful, maybe after the movie he could convince Ludwig to take him out for some pasta too. That would be a nice way to end the enjoyable evening.

As he thought about how the evening would go, with this dreamy expression, he suddenly sneezed lightly and the mood suddenly got put to a halt. "Ve?" He glanced around randomly before shrugging his shoulders and reaching for the tissue box on his bed. "Someone might be talking about me somewhere, that's what Kiku told me that one time...oh well." Once again, he lied back down after blowing his nose and tossing away the tissue, and just let himself fantasize in the typical love-struck manner that yes, everyone goes through at least once in their life.

The time was ticking by, for Feliciano, it was much too slow. He at least had another hour before Ludwig would come by the house and pick him up in his car. For some odd reason, he insisted in a gravely serious tone that there was absolutely no need for him to drive them instead. To this moment, he still was not aware of the reason. Oh well...

Being so anxious for the evening, Feliciano had already showered and gotten himself ready. He even got out his clothes and was wearing at them at the moment. He knew that it was just going to be a casual date to the movies so he just decided to look as casual as possible; sporting a crimson t-shirt that surprisingly complimented his hair color, and brown pants and sneakers the same color as the shirt.

Suddenly, a door slam made Feliciano gasp and bolt up from the bed. "THAT BASTARD! I HOPE HE FUCKING BURNS IN HELL!" Ah yes, there was no mistake where this rage was coming from now.

Very loud, angrily stomping could be heard until Feliciano's slightly older brother, Lovino, was in sight by the open doorway. His dark brown hair was tousled and the odd curl on his head seemed to be twitching erratically as if on it's own accord. Even his school uniform was wrinkled. Which begs the question: what the heck happened to him?

Well, Feliciano being the concerned brother that he was, shifted off the bed and made his way over to the doorway, his face revealing much worry as he held onto the doorway. "Fratello...? What are you doing home so late?"

Lovino nearly jumped inches in the air when he suddenly heard his brother's voice. Somewhat uneasily, he turned around fully and Feliciano noticed that he was looking pretty pissed off and his entire face was flushed and nearly radiating heat. "It was that fucking Antonio again! He practically assaulted me after I was leaving class and parked outside his home because I had to get out to the back of the car and lie down an umbrella so it would stop rattling!" He crossed his arms and the blush only deepened as he recalled this aforementioned 'assault' that he was most likely just exaggerating out of rage, but Feliciano was too panicked to fully notice like he normally would have. "I am so fucking SICK of that bastard always trying to have his way with me! He even drops by school just to hit on me! WHY CAN'T HE JUST GET IT THROUGH HIS GODDAMN STUBBORN MIND THAT I WILL NEVER LET HIM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME? I DON'T CARE IF HE'S JUST SO-CALLED 'LONELY', I'LL-"

"Ve~ Lovino!" Feliciano, totally not affected by the fact that he was having to deal with a pissed off person because this was an everyday occurrence in their household, allowed one of his contagious smiles to appear on his face. It was contagious for everyone...except Lovi. "Maybe there's a deeper reason behind why Antonio is constantly chasing after you..."

Lovino huffed, but a curious glint shone in his dark brown eyes. "Go on."

"Weeeeeell...maybe he is not just lonely. Maybe Antonio _likes_~ you." The minute those words left Feliciano's mouth, it didn't take long for there to be stunned expression flash across his brother's face followed soon after by another deep crimson blush across his cheeks.

"D-dammit, why the hell am I ranting about my problems to you?" Quickly, Lovino brushed past him in a blur, keeping his eyes locked on the floor and his head a little low so that maybe his scorching crimson cheeks wouldn't be detected.

Not understanding the real reason behind Lovino suddenly fleeing back to his room, Feliciano just stared, a thoughtful expression on as he cocked his head to the side.

It wasn't a minute later before Lovino exited his room and retraced his steps back to his brother. This look of confusion appearing on his face as he studied his appearance more closely than he had earlier.

"Why are you dressed up?"

Feliciano didn't seem to notice the impending chaos. He just beamed and stepped forward with his hands flailing around, unable to contain his excitement. "Tonight is the night me and Ludwig are going out somewhere on a date! Ve~! I'm so excted-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it." Lovino scowled and folded his arms over his chest. The evil aura radiating off him did not even affect his excited brother. "You are seriously going out with that potato-loving bastard? Is THIS what you have been doing all this time when you claimed you were out 'buying groceries' for every fucking night this past week?"

"Fratello-"

"You were at his house the other night too, right?" Now Lovino's eye was twitching and a scared look flashed across Feliciano's face as he backed up.

"But, ve, nothing happened at all..."

"I knew you must have been doing something! Oh that bastard! The next time I see him, I swear I'll fucking castrate him!" The door suddenly closed in Lovi's face. And this only succeeded in making his anger soar as he almost kicked it open and set his flaring eyes on a trembling Feliciano that was praying frantically. "Don't slam the door in my face...! You know that being around all these German bastards will only taint your mind! How the hell could you fall for someone like that out of the entire population of the world? Huh?"

Now far too afraid to respond, Feliciano just characteristically decided to cower while his brother once again went off on another rant about Ludwig. Which, honestly, he just couldn't see how this hatred of him even begun in the first place.

All he knew was that ever since their first meeting, Lovino took an instant dislike to him. And no matter how many times Feliciano tried to get him to change his mind, he would not. It made a part of his spirit die because he just wished for them to all get along and there be no hard feelings.

"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"

"F-F-F-Fratello..."

"The bastard is always so calm and composed, and you aren't! How the hell did so-called 'love' even spark between two total opposites? It's just insane!"

"Well, I am very cute-"

"Being around him will only ruin you! Don't you see that, Feliciano? Can you not see it?"

"But he is not a bad guy..."

"What the hell is his phone number? I'm fucking calling him up to give him a piece of my mind and a reality check!"

"Fratello!"

And there was much more yelling and cries, along with lots of crashes and stomping that could be heard all over the neighborhood. The Italians' neighbors could all make it out and were either dialing for the cops or opening their windows to cuss them out. But this was just another every day occurrence, so that is to be expected.

**. . .**

Ludwig was sure that he was right on time. He wanted this night to go well, and most of the advice that Elizabeta had given him gratefully was ringing in his ears. It was time to seal the deal with that kiss and conclude all of this unnecessary tension and suspense that had overcome the four of them: himself, Feliciano, and even Gilbert and Elizabeta.

He had been to his boyfriend's home several times in the past. But it never failed to impress him with the size and how beautiful the inside was decorated. But he just kept a straight face and raised a hand to the door, rapping on it loud enough for someone to be able to hear and answer.

This was the response he received after lots of loud cursing and fearful "Veee-ing":

"Fuck, that better not be the potato bastard! I don't need to see him and those annoying muscles of his!"

Ve! I really hope that's Ludwig...!"

"HEY! Where the hell do you think you're running off to! I am talking to you!"

"Ludwig~! Ludwig~! I'm coming-WAAAH!"

Another loud crash made Ludwig flinch somewhat and remove his hand from the door. He blinked repeatedly, a mildly surprised expression flashed across his face as he pressed his ear against it and heard some weak groans of agony.

Luckily, the door was already unlocked. After noticing this, Ludwig let himself in and he was quick to be concerned for Feliciano's safety as he walked through and glanced around, looking for any mayhem that took place in there.

The first thing he saw was Feliciano and Lovino lying on the bottom of the long staircase, the former being crushed to death by the latter as they groaned in pain. He assumed that, by the looks of things, they must have fallen down the stairs pretty roughly. But he couldn't ignore their situation, so he came closer and helped the brothers up to their feet.

Well, he tried to help Lovino. But he just pouted and swatted him away before lifting himself up on his own and cursing under his breath. So that left only his younger brother. But Ludwig didn't mind, he gladly extended a hand for Feli to grab and the pasta-loving boy managed a bright smile and took it.

Once all of them were up, there was a minor awkward silence in the air involving Ludwig rubbing the back of his neck, Lovino fuming at the German because he detested his overall presence in general and was already upset to begin with, and Feliciano was feeling a little disappointed that his clothes were now wrinkled severely and his hair was tousled – for he wanted to look at least a little nice tonight.

But all was good when Lovino finally uncrossed his arms after surveying Ludwig and reacting as if he were the most repulsive person on the face of the earth. "So where are you two going? Shouldn't I be in the know?"

God knows he didn't want to have to face Lovino's so-called wrath if he were to tell the truth. But what other choice did Ludwig have at the time? "We are just going to-"

_RING! RING! RING! _Everyone kind of froze when this loud and repeative ringing was heard. It was seemingly coming from nowhere at all, but then Lovino noticed it was coming from his pocket and so he pulled out his cellphone and answered.

"Hello?" Lovino's tone was annoyed, and the uncaring look on his face was soon replaced by one of utter rage as he listened to the caller greet him in a familiar Spanish accent. "How the hell did you get my number, you bastard? WHAT? Yeah, I'm free tonight! No, I will not come over to your house and I wouldn't if my life depended on it! You're...you're doing what? OH GOD DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT!"

Ludwig and Feliciano merely exchanged somewhat bewildered glances at each other, having being forced to listen to parts of the conversation that Lovino must have been having with that Antonio guy again. They did not even want to know what kind of conversation this was. As it almost sounded like attempted, one-sided phone sex. Can someone say...awkward?

But at least there was the perfect opportunity to escape having to answer Lovino's interrogations about where they were going. As there was no doubt in Ludwig's mind that he would go to extreme and ridiculous lengths to prevent them from enjoying their date, or even being out together in general. He didn't know why he was holding such an intense hatred for him, but this was to be elaborated on later.

Feliciano cracked a smile and inched his hand into Ludwig's, their fingers warmly interlocked together and he spoke in a hushed tone, "We can sneak out while Fratello is talking with Antonio. Come on."

Who knew that Feliciano could even come up with the same sneaky idea? Well, whatever, that only amused Ludwig and the corners of his lips curved into a small smile. "That isn't a bad idea."

Lovino started pacing the floors as he cussed out Antonio over the phone in a mix of Italian and English, and that gave the couple a chance to sneak out without ever turning their heads to look back. There was no reason to.

And by the time he finally slammed the phone down and turned around, Ludwig and Feliciano were already long gone and the front door was left open.

_**To Be Continued In Part II**_

**. . .**

A/N: Ludwig, Feliciano, you really did make the best decision by fleeing. Lovino probably would have been embarrassed by having you two overhear his first phone sex with his obvious crush. *The author attempts to dodge tons of tomatoes being thrown in her direction by a very tsundere Lovi*

I know that you may be disappointed that nothing major happened in this chapter. Well. That is simply because I intended it all along. The genre of this story IS, and I quote, 'Romance/Suspense' after all. This chapter was intended to, you know where I'm going with this, build up the suspense and excitement, and curiosity of what might happen on their date.

I can't tell you what will happen next. You will just have to see what for yourself...once I can get my lazy ass to the computer and get to writing the upcoming chapter. ;) So long for now~

Read and review!


	7. The Big Date 2

MidnightSakuraBlossom18: Funny and very, very true story for 'ya: do you want to know how I got the inspiration to write this chapter...? It was after having something of a FML kind of moment one Sunday ago. I had forgotten that I made the song Let The Bodies Hit The Floor by Drowning Pool my ringtone and had forgotten to put my phone on silent. So "LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR...! LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR! _LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOOOOR_..._! _Went off on full volume. During church. When everyone was taking a moment of silence for prayer. -.-

I do not know how that gave me the inspiration to write this chapter. Nor do I know if it's a good idea for me to take my cellphone to church ever again. *Sighs* Please enjoy the chapter anyways!

Lovino is now paranoid about what Ludwig may or may not be doing to his innocent brother. So he's being drastic and searching them down again. THAT FIEND! Attacking hormonally stressed out teenagers! D: *The author gets trampled to death for the use of an altered Spongebob quote*

Disclaimer: Hetalia and it's characters don't belong to me. They never have. They never will.

**. . .**

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter Eight: The Big Date II**_

**. . .**

Their first date out in public where their actions and conversations were noticed by all had just begun the moment Ludwig and Feliciano slipped into the former's car and drove away before Lovino could even notice. Ludwig honestly did not want to be reminded of the tension that was weighing on his shoulders, or the fact that fate was probably going to have some kind of annoying cockblock tonight, or the fact that Lovino was probably at the panic stage at this point in time and searching every inch and tight corner of town until they were in his sight and under his control.

Tonight, it was just going to be the two of them having a nice time, enjoying the others' company and perhaps even getting over the whole kissing milestone in their relationship. Then, then this hell would finally be over and behind them both.

It's just too bad that this was not some romance novel, this was reality. And in reality; things never really go the way that you plan, or want them to. And you cannot change whatever happens, you just gotta move on and gain back your positive outlook and attempt again. Wow, it does sound simple when put this way.

Ludwig soon realized that it wasn't simple. Very soon.

So their ride to the movies was rather uneventful, Feliciano mostly chatted endlessly about what kind of movie they were going to be viewing, and what he thought of this ambiguous relationship that his brother has with that Spanish guy whose name escaped him at the time. This was good, this was a good sign. Ludwig and Feliciano both were certain and sure that other person couldn't detect their nervousness about what would happen tonight.

Once arriving at the building in the present time, the couple exited the car and made their way inside to get their tickets. Since it was Friday night and there were quite a few new movies that just recently came out, lots of people were piling in and lines were formed at the ticket and snack counter. So, with sighs, they both got at the end of the line of about four other people and decided to wait.

Feliciano took this chance to gaze around and clear his mind. Right now, there was no need for him to worry about how well the date would go, everything will even out gradually; all he has to do is remain carefree and just assume things will be fine. He gazed around with a smile and took in the sight of the various people and decorations around them.

But then he heard some faint buzzing and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone and look at the number flashed on the screen. His smile faltered a bit, which his boyfriend noticed easily.

"Feliciano?"

"Ve?" Feliciano looked up and met the curious, icy blue eyes of Ludwig and chose this time to blink.

"Who's calling you?" '_Hopefully, it is not Elizabeta checking up on us. Somehow, I've been getting this feeling that she and Bruder might be in cahoots..._'

"Actually, it's my Fratello." Feliciano thought for a minute, and sighed somewhat afterward. "I would call him back...but he's probably really angry. Ludwig, what should I do?"

For a brief moment, the confused Italian's eyes had opened and were staring at up at Ludwig, wide with curiosity about what his response would be. It was true that if he were to call him back, there was an increasingly high chance that he would be beyond pissed off and would do his best to get the information he craved for out of his brother's mouth. And should be not answer the call, well, let's just say that Lovino would never allow the two to go out together ever again because of his drastic assumptions of them doing something wild and sexual; like going and doing bondage-type things in a bar or something like that.

"He can't keep tabs on you like this. Just don't answer Lovino. Besides..." Although a little unsure about how he would convince him, Ludwig's hand slowly extended to Feliciano's and held it. "You wanted tonight to be just the two of us, right?"

In record time, a dreamy smile curved onto Feliciano's lips and he nodded. That was enough of an answer, words didn't need to be exchanged at all.

And without second thoughts, the cellphone was set on silent and the two went back to waiting in the line, their hands being held together during this time.

It took a short while. But the two of them eventually made it up to the counter and were trying to decide which new movie that they were going to be seeing tonight. Ludwig didn't notice that there were at least four others recently released since he last checked, so him and Feliciano were equally puzzled about which to go for. One was the original they had both considered: a drama. But there were also two actions, one romantic comedy between two lesbian women (on second thought, that would be somewhat awkward for the both of them...), and a horror.

It was safe to say that the lesbian romantic comedy and the horror were fading out of the question. For Ludwig anyway. He knew the first would be awkward. And the second wouldn't really be bad for him, but Feliciano may react dramatically at the gory/creepy/satanic scenes. Nevertheless, Feliciano chirped happily that he would like to see the horror movie, claiming in his defense that he heard from Elizabeta that it was pretty good compared to others.

'_Elizabeta, huh?_' Ludwig sighed and glanced away from Feliciano for a brief moment. '_That explains a lot. She must have said this to Feliciano so that he would be interested and talk me into the idea. Probably so that he will be freaking out and jumping into...my arms...giving me the perfect moment to..._' It all came together perfectly, he realized what Elizabeta was trying to do here. His cheeks warmed immediately at this realization, as over-used as this idea sounded at first, it did sound like it would work! The best part was that no one he knew all that well would be at the theater, and it was unlikely there would be any annoying cockblocks tonight.

He turned back to the endearingly smiling Italian at his side. And asked for reassurance, "Are you sure that you want to see a horror?"

Feliciano nodded with characteristic enthusiasm. "Don't worry, Ludwig. I'm pretty tough when it comes to these kinds of things!" Why did Ludwig find that comment awfully suspicious and not easy to believe?

Well, he couldn't possibly ignore Feli's determination to see the movie. And if he was that sure about himself, this may work out for the both of them whether he loses his courage or not during the movie. A win-win situation, in other words. Ludwig turned back to the bored female behind the corner chewing bubble gum and finally requested the tickets from her. Finally.

_**. . .**_

And elsewhere, a very pissed Lovino parked outside of a certain annoying bastard's home. God knows he didn't want to be here, especially not after today when the guy practically came from nowhere once again and attacked him with affection that made him sick to his stomach to think about.

What choice did he have? There was no way that he, alone, could track down that potato bastard and his innocent brother. Help was needed, and Lovino really didn't have any people that he could title as friends. Antonio was...the next best thing.

He got out of the car and made his way through the yard and up to the door. Loudly and obnoxiously, he rapped against the frame to try and get the attention of the Spaniard. He was not a patient guy, and never once paused in making the loud noise.

But finally, he was greeted by the sight of Antonio rubbing his eyes sleepily as he fully opened up the door. He must have been sleeping, or at least trying to, when he had pretty much beat the crap outta the door. Lovino was distracted briefly by the fact that his hair was tousled and sticking up in various directions and he only wore a pair of crimson lounging pants. Yet, he tore his eyes away from his damn chest and met his eyes.

"FINALLY! I was beginning to think you weren't going to answer the fucking door!" Lovino snapped at him, trying so hard to ignore the fact that this shouting was forced and he could feel his cheeks and ears practically burn when his gaze fell back to his chest.

"Lovino...?" Reality overcame Antonio immediately. His eyes snapped open in surprise and it was like he suddenly got this second wind. "Lovino! You actually came to visit me!"

"I shouldn't after you and your goddamn annoying attempts to shower me with affection...so don't let this go to your head, okay?" It would appear that Antonio really didn't care about the stuff that the object of his affections was rambling about, he was too busy dreamily smiling at the fact he had actually sucked it up and dropped by. Especially at _night_.

"I was just about to go to sleep, however," Antonio smirked and leaned in the doorway, purposely occasionally tipping a little forward to tease the mildly sputtering Italian. "Now that you're here, there's no reason for the night to have to come to an end so soon. If you want-"

"Shut up!" Antonio blinked, seeing as though the Italian's face was now almost totally red and obviously burning intensely. He just did not understand if this was rage, or well, embarrassment. Or a nice dose of both. "This is not about me, it's about that fucking potato bastard and Feliciano out somewhere on the town together! Don't care whether you want to or not, you're _helping_ me search for them! So...put on some damn clothes and get in the car!"

_**. . .**_

"Ve~ this is going to be so great!" Feliciano mentioned happily, almost dreamily as he and his German boyfriend made their way over to this large counter to get some snacks and drinks. "Ludwig, do you think that I could get some candy?"

"We'll see."

"I really want some chocolate candy~ Ve~ Oh, maybe a chocolate bar!"

"I really don't think that it matters all that much."

"Oh, okay," Feliciano thought for a second and looked back up at Ludwig as they stepped into the short line at the counter. "Are you going to get anything to eat?"

'_I'm so damn nervous, there's no way I would even be able to take a sip of my drink..._' "No, I'm fine. I, ah, already ate a while ago anyway."

"I understand." The smile returned to Feliciano's face as he nodded. "But, Ludwig could still have some of my chocolate bar if he wants some; I don't mind sharing~!" Feliciano must not have noticed something interesting about that wording.

Ludwig on the other hand, interpreted that wording somewhat differently. Seeing this mental picture of Feli innocently eating a chocolate bar of some kind during the movie and then catching his attention and wordlessly coming closer for him to bite onto it also, they would thoroughly eat through until their lips would meet...and Jesus Christ, that sounded so cheesy that it was ridiculous! He tried to stamp out the spreading light blush in his cheeks, damn Gilbert having to get him so worked up over this whole situation!

"Ve? Is that Kiku over there?" Ludwig's train of thought was miraculously interrupted by that question by an observant Feliciano, whom was pointing a finger at a Japanese-looking teenage guy standing almost aimlessly just a little distance away from the counters.

Ludwig squinted to get a better look at the guy. And sure enough, it _was_ Kiku. Kiku Honda was a friend of theirs, he was a pretty good guy most of the time. Only problem was that he could get awkward and shy by the slightest things that he found abnormal or unnecessary.

"I think that is Kiku."

"Let's get his attention!" Feliciano cupped his hands to his mouth and called out, before Ludwig could step in and get him to stop, "Ve~ Kiku!"

Kiku seemed to have heard Feliciano. How he couldn't have would make no sense after all, due to the fact that the beaming Italian had really raised his voice to call out to him. He turned, his brown eyes widening somewhat either in surprise from encountering his friends here like this, or because of the aftermath of Feli's voice to his eardrums.

"Feliciano? Ludwig?" Kiku blinked repeatedly and came over, just barley avoiding Feliciano's attempts to sneak a big and friendly hug. He composed himself after the dodging and sighed as he brushed back of strand of his obsidian hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Ludwig mentioned, confused by the fact that Kiku would be out having fun tonight. He usually tended to stay home a lot more than what would be considered healthy.

"What am I doing here? Ah..." Kiku looked down at the floor, obviously becoming somewhat flustered by this sudden question. The faintest shade of pink sneaked into his cheeks during his pause. Ludwig and Feliciano both were interested, yet very puzzled expressions as they stared back at each other. "Well, I was going to see a movie with someone tonight. That's all there is to it."

"Ve~" Feliciano beamed once again and was nearly bouncing on the heels of his feet as he clung onto Ludwig's arm. "Well, we're here on a date tonight!"

Kiku nodded in understanding for a brief moment. He had been informed of their relationship a while ago, and he deep down was relieved that something finally happened between them. Words can not express how deeply annoyed he was at the fact the German and Italian had feelings for each other but wouldn't do anything to go beyond that of a friendship. Now, he was happy for them. Even if he didn't outwardly show it.

"Oh, well, I won't interrupt." Kiku mumbled a hasty goodbye and then walked away back over to the forming line at the ticket counter. Ludwig and Feliciano had glanced at each other in much confusion, wondering why he seemed to be nervous.

But then their questions were answered immediately. Once they caught sight of that Greek guy in their class, he had quickly walked up to Kiku's side and greeted him warmly, they could vaguely make out him questioning him on what movie that he wanted to see.

It would appear that Kiku had some explaining to do later on. About if that love triangle he had somehow gotten wrapped up in was officially resolved. But Ludwig and Feliciano pretended to ignore them, as this was another story for another time. (Aw.)

Trying to put the whole odd encounter with Kiku behind them, Ludwig and Feliciano went on to get prepared for the movie they were going to see. There still was a few minutes before it began, so they got their tickets in hand, bought some drinks and Feliciano got the candy that he wanted, and they went down to the correct room.

As expected; it was incredibly dim in the room. But thanks to the small little lights glowing on the steps, there was a good enough light provided to watch one's step. The two made their way through until at the very top seats. Luckily for them, there was only about one person sitting there.

Score! This meant that moves could be made, and they wouldn't have to attempt to explain anything awkwardly embarrassing to spectators that would have gotten tickets for romance movie if they wanted to see one.

'_Ve~ This is going very well so far! I hope that I can do this..._' Feliciano happily plopped down in the very middle seat and smiled his typical smile as he ripped open his bag of candy that he had chosen at random. Ludwig gave him a quick glance and then sat beside him, trying to relax and wait for the movie. '_Hmm, but,_' His gaze became downcast as a sudden thought passed. '_I-I hope that this movie isn't too scary. Ludwig already knows that I'm such a coward, but it would be embarrassing to freak out at the slightest terrifying scene. Oh, what am I supposed to do...?_'

'_Ludwig, you just need to relax and realize that everything should work out. There aren't any flaws tonight, and any people that could interrupt are far away. It's just you and Feliciano._' A slight blush darted across the German's cheeks, he was more than thankful for the dim-lit room. Why couldn't he be as composed as he was _outwardly _when it came to this guy? '_Although a horror movie probably wasn't the best idea in hindsight. Hmm...but...if he freaks out, I could be the one to comfort him..._' Ludwig's thoughts were put on a sudden halt when he felt his phone vibrating crazily in his pocket. He sighed for what might have been the thousandth time this month.

But, if he didn't answer, this person may just decide to be wicked and continue to call. Why did he have the feeling that this person calling was none other than his annoying older brother, Gilbert checking up on their evening?

Feliciano watched almost-curiously as Ludwig slipped a hand into his pants pocket and got out the cellphone. It was just as he expected, unfortunately. His eyes rolled in annoyance and he answered with a quiet, "Gilbert?"

"Have you finally made your move yet?" Ludwig honestly wanted to end the call right there and toss his phone away. But, he remained composed as his brother's obnoxious laughter faded. How this was amusing, he would never know.

"I..." Ludwig turned to Feliciano, whom was being innocently unaware of the phone conversation as he looked up at the large screen and munched on some candy. "Bruder, it's going to take some time. If you really want a status report-"

He was cut off by Gilbert making a fake scoff of shock and disbelief. "Hey, who said that I was being nosy and wanted a 'status report'? I'm just being your freaking awesome older bruder that wants to look out for you. Kesesesese!" He wasn't fooling anyone. Ludwig just knew that he was probably back at the house trying to seduce that sly Elizabeta and they were both more than likely huddled around the phone eagerly listening for any signs of action. "ANYWAY, since you're so shy about making a move with your own boyfriend, I will give you some special once-in-a-lifetime advice!"

"Gilbert, just shut up-"

"Now, this guy's pretty clueless to his surroundings...which makes it EASY for you to make a move! Once the movie begins to roll and it's totally dark, you must sneak closer to him and then be quick to slip an arm around his shoulder and pull 'em close to you. When he notices, that's when you be dominating!" Ludwig mockingly mouthed the stuff that Gilbert was rambling as he went on, wondering in the back of his head how much longer he would keep it up. "Be dominating and grab his cheeks – not THOSE cheeks...yet anyway. The face, see? Move in and crash your lips against his; apply force and don't play nice. Kesesese! Then, then you must hungrily bite at his lips and he will give in and open his mouth for you to thrust your tongue into-"

That's when Ludwig slammed the phone closed abruptly and stuffed it back in his pocket, his face practically burning with embarrassment for several different reasons. He was so glad that Feliciano -or anyone else for that matter – didn't overhear this very twisted advice that he was receiving from his obnoxious brother.

Then again, Feliciano looked rather _too innocent_ just sitting there staring at the blank screen and munching away on his candy. Much to Ludwig's possible dismay, he realized that he could have easily overheard and yet he didn't have the heart to let that be known.

Ludwig's eyes blinked as he noticed just how focused Feliciano appeared to be at the moment. This would be a good chance at least try and make a move – even if it's subtle. He turned back and kept his gaze locked on the dark screen, carefully inching his hand forward to Feliciano's that was resting on the edge of the seat.

It didn't take long for their hands to meet and the fingers to interlock together. Feliciano had glanced downward at their hands briefly, and the tiniest knowing smile curved onto his lips. He absolutely loved it when they held hands, even if it was one of the most subtle ways to show affection. Just the feel of their fingers fitted together and their palms resting against the other. It gave this feeling of unity and comfort. All of the other people that were incoming and were going back and forth to get comfortable and get their snacks, it seemed as if they were not even here and it was just the two of them...

And then the moment was gone the minute Ludwig cursed under his breath and pulled back out his vibrating phone. Feliciano looked over in disappointment once their fingers were released, it was as if the unity was...for lack of a better word: destroyed.

"Gilbert, will you stop calling me?" Ludwig hissed into the phone, his brother on the other line was most likely grinning. He knew it. "Look, the movie is about to be starting. I don't need any _distractions_."

"Oh~! Distractions from _what_ exactly...? I just wanted to be the awesome and caring big bruder that we all know I am and give you some great advice for sweeping that cute Italian right off his feet-" If it was even possible, the annoyed look on Ludwig's features increased and he ended the phone call once again, this time being sure to turn off his cellphone completely.

By the time that he was just about to make an attempt to take his boyfriend's hand, the lights suddenly dimmed totally and the opening scene was beginning to play. He was barely paying attention to the movie at the moment, just barely making out the evil shadows lurk over a night street in the middle of a thick shower of rain. His attention was focused solely on the Italian at his side.

Now, if only he could get himself together and plan. After all: not having some kind of plan was not ideal. Right? He always believed that you'd have to have some sort of strategy in life; so that things will be seen your way. However, his beliefs have been challenged ever since he met Feliciano.

Feliciano never seemed to be worried about anything. He wasn't ever prepared for anything and could care less about the consequences of an action until some later point in the future. So laid-back and fun-loving. Despite this trait being, you guessed it, irritating for the German, he still put up with it every day. It was nice to see one person that could live that way, as he couldn't possible put himself in the Italian's place and see himself as that kind of person. Let's face it: if Ludwig really was that kind of person...it would be just creepy.

Feliciano on the other hand, was totally lost in the movie. He was visibly trembling as he watched the creepy scene of these shadows sneak up on an unsuspecting minor character in the movie. Not even three seconds and he was already getting scared. But he refused to let himself get too freaked out; he didn't want to embarrass himself or Ludwig once again by his cowardly antics.

But then again, he found reassurance and comfort in the simple fact that he had Ludwig here with him to cling to just as he always had done before when scared to death by the simplest things. Even if the very creepy scene of the dark figure holding the victim from behind roughly, clasping a hand over her mouth, and raising a glinting blood-stained huge knife to her throat was getting to him, he just had to remind himself that he had a boyfriend who was more than willing to be the one that he all but flings himself at when terrified to death.

Somehow, Ludwig knew that choosing to see this movie was a bad idea. It was true that it did include it's fair share of gore and horror, he was sure that everyone else including Feliciano were either staring with rapidly enlarging eyes or holding their breaths. He wasn't the type to get scared that easily, but the German did admit that it was one of the better horror movies that he has seen.

In the several minutes the movie had been playing, Feliciano had reacted quite uncontrollably at all of the creepy, gory, and terrifying scenes. He had, at the correct times: gasped, screeched rather girlishly, covered his eyes, jumped inches in the air from his seat, and even buried his face into Ludwig's chest. He was too scared to be the least bit embarrassed over the fact everyone else could see how badly he was freaking out. Ludwig was embarrassed enough to pass for the both of them anyway, he just told himself to reveal this outwardly.

Finally, near the middle of the movie, this particularly disturbing scene came up. With the extremely dark setting and the music, combined with a pair of huge purple eyes appeared and moved in closer and closer to the chained half-naked female victim staring in sheer horror at what was going to happen next, and a blood-stained blade glinted in the darkness and was thrust forward into her face and sliced it impossibly in half with computer-generated bloodshed and vital organs...

Nearly the entire crows watching gasped while others that were less braver screamed a little. Feliciano had been one of those to scream, and he all but flung himself into a surprised Ludwig's arms and cried out some stuff in Italian as he buried his face in the crook of his boyfriend's rapidly-warming neck.

Yes, the movie was disturbing. But with the terrified Italian right now so _close _to him and in his arms almost _bridal-style_, the only thing that Ludwig was paying attention to was the ringing of his own heart in his eardrums. A deep and scorching hot blush rushing into his neck and face at realization of the situation.

It didn't help that the few people that weren't scared to death by the movie were turning to gaze at the two with questioning expressions, not sure what to make of the sight they were unintentionally giving everyone. This just made things more embarrassing.

Ludwig's attention shifted from the movie to Feliciano, whom was trembling and shielding his eyes. He was secure now in his strong hold, and to be honest, Ludwig had no idea why he was even letting him make such a scene in a public place. There were times in the past, before the upgrade of their relationship, that he would give him a look of disapproval or just call him out whenever he would do something crazy out in public and embarrass those around him. Now he just couldn't do it.

"I can't look..." Feliciano whimpered pathetically, shifting a little and covering his eyes with his hands as his head moved away from his boyfriend's neck. Ludwig hated for it to leave though, he liked his warm breath sending tingles down his spine. "Ludwig, is it all over yet?"

"You know, you'll miss plot relevant parts of the movie if you look away."

"Ve! I'll just read the review about the parts then!" Feliciano proceeded to tremble frantically and babble his prayers in Italian underneath his breath, the corners of Ludwig's lips began to twitch as he watched; but luckily he could stop himself from smiling in odd amusement.

Once the horrible, agonizing screams of the victim ended with the cruel sadistic laughter from the movie's antagonist, Feliciano's tightly screwed shut eyes relaxed like usual and he slowly and fearfully removed his hands from his them once he felt a hand brush through his hair and close to that curl...

That curl! Feliciano immediately shrieked, catching the attention of everyone in the room, and blushed so badly that it felt like his cheeks were forever scorched. This odd reaction was enough to make Ludwig stare and pull his hand away as if he touched burning flames.

"Feliciano...?"

"It's...um...I'm sorry..." Feliciano, although now getting extremely uncomfortable by the fact he had almost gotten a good grasp on the curl, laughed very nervously. That...that would have been, considering what he might do by that trigger in public, _bad_. Understatement, people. "I guess I never have told you about the unusual curl on my head. You almost touched it just now when you ran through my hair...it's, ah, _sensitive_..."

Ludwig blinked, still not really understanding what he could possibly mean. But seeing as though he was acting really nervous and on edge, then that suspicious curl must really be sensitive. "Oh, I didn't know that. I was just-"

"Ve? There's no need for Ludwig to apologize." Feliciano's lips curved into a smile as he looked up and met those icy blue eyes fixated on him. He then suddenly realized that he was still in his arms, being held in the same manner as a woman whom had just gotten married and her husband was whisking her away. There was no telling how awkward this must be for Ludwig, he realized.

The two locked eyes for several seconds, the movie still going on un-noticed by them. Through the darkness, the two blushed quite vividly as the moment got to them. They were so intimately close...so close together...

'_Feliciano...is this the right moment?_'

'_Veeeee~ Ludwig..._'

Locking eyes, the beats of their hearts began to pick up. It just felt so right and ready. Now was the time to close this distance between them and finally make contact. They both knew this and closed their eyes as they leaned in.

Yes...

Almost there...

Lips are _just about to touch_...

"FELICIANO! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT GODDAMN POTATO-LOVING BASTARD...!" Feliciano and Ludwig's eyes snapped open immediately and they pulled away in their shock by the sudden yelling. (FUUUUUU-)

Everyone else in the theater immediately turned their attention away from the epic horror going on in front of them to turn and stare at Ludwig, Feliciano, and a very enraged Lovino that was panting on his own air he was breathing as he made his way up the stairs to them.

And then, following Lovino, was Antonio. Whom made it over to them about five seconds later not quite as out of breath, but laughing nervously as he insisted to a glaring Ludwig that he was only here because he couldn't say no to Lovi when he was pissed.

"Did you really think that you could sneak out without me knowing where the hell you were going? Did you?" Lovino crossed his arms over his chest as he glared and went on to rant, Feliciano's facial expression fell as he slipped out from Ludwig's arms and returned back to his seat. "You know that I hate this bastard, and for some goddamn reason you insist on being around him anyway!"

"Why are you so controlling?" Antonio interjected, curiously blinking and leaning forward expectantly.

"Yes, I'm sure we would all like to know that answer." Ludwig mentioned, Antonio flashed him a smile afterward seeing as though he just made a true point.

One teenage guy in the audience, whom had brownish, blondish hair and deep blue eyes turned and gave the blond-haired and green-eyed guy next to him a nudge with his elbow. "This is better than the movie, huh Arthur?"

The four all turned to give 'Arthur' and the other guy blank looks, as they weren't too far away from them. But once again, they returned back to whatever scene they were making for everyone to view.

"I...I have to be controlling." Lovino spat, pouting as he glared down at the floor. "Feliciano's so fucking stupid that he needs someone to keep 'em in line. I don't care about watching him closely, but he's my Fratello and we live together, so what else am I supposed to do?"

There was silence for a long time. Until a huge smile broke out on Antonio's face and he came up from behind a shocked Lovino and hugged him tightly. "Aw~! Lovino, you really do care~! You're on a roll, reveal how you feel deep down about _me_ now!"

"I-I-I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT ANYTHING! GET THE HELL OFF ME BEFORE I PUNCH YOU IN THE STOMACH!"

Ludwig and Feliciano just arose from their seats, all while exchanging varying expressions. They really didn't know what the hell to make of this scene before them: Antonio cooing and laughing and hugging a struggling and tsundere Lovino whom was yelling and screaming profanities in protest.

How nobody had decided to be bold and kick them out for causing such an intense disturbance, we will never know. But it might have something to do with the fact the security here sucks.

Still...thank God for Antonio and his infatuation with Lovino. He always seems to enter the scene at the most random and awkward times, effectively distracting him and giving Ludwig and Feliciano a chance to escape undetected. Oh well, at least there was someone in this world that loved Feli's tsundere brother...

Before the couple could escape, Lovino suddenly forcefully shoved Antonio away with a surge of rare energy. His face bright red with the usual mixture of burning rage and mortification that he dealt with every day when Antonio would mess with him. Remembering the situation, he folded his arms and glared daggers at Feliciano. "Forget everything that you just saw. Now then," He rushed forward and roughly clasped onto his younger brother's arm. Feliciano couldn't even protest as he was pulled forward at his side. "We're going home _right now_."

"But...but Fratello..." Feliciano tried to protest, looking rather saddened as he met the flaring eyes of his brother. He didn't have the courage to go on and try to reason with him, as it would be utterly useless at this point.

"I think you're being too hard on him, Lovino." Ludwig spoke up, taking a step forward. This made Lovino's narrowed angry eyes widen for a short time, but he continued to scowl as he continued. "I wasn't going to do anything harmful to him, this was the first time we would be going out on a date in public and I could sense that he really had sky-high hopes for the evening." Feliciano's smile returned momentarily as he met the softening eyes of Ludwig.

Unfortunately, Lovino was nowhere near giving up and leaving the two alone. He was silent for a long time though, and eventually turned away from them and glared at absolutely nothing in particular. "Yeah, I knew that too. And that's exactly why I had to interfere, dammit..."

"Hey, listen to me," Ludwig sighed and crossed his arms, looking away from the staring Italian brothers and the somewhat forgotten Antonio. The same telltale blush that rushed to his face whenever he shared a moment with Feli returned in record time again. "I don't know why you despise me, I don't know why you want to keep Feliciano away, or the reason why you seem bent on ruining our relationship...but...you have to reconsider this."

"Why the hell should I?" Lovino spat, walking forward, near tossing Feliciano aside into Antonio. Even if he was somewhat intimidated by the fact this guy looked so stoic and unwavering, not to mention towering over him, he swallowed inwardly and came forward and looked up in his eyes. "My motives and reasons happen to be _personal_, 'kay? You don't need to know anything, bastard!"

"I never asked-"

"Humph, I don't give a flying fuck about what you have to say." Lovino turned to see Feliciano staring with widened eyes and trembling as he clung to Antonio, whom was wearing a disapproving expression. "Release Antonio, Feliciano. We're going home. You can forget about ever seeing this bastard again!"

Ludwig, Antonio, and Feliciano all stared in shock with what he just declared. Seeing as though Lovino could be rash and impulsive when pissed, they weren't sure if he meant every word or not. But given the wicked expression he was giving them all, he must have been serious.

And just as he said he would do, Lovino growled an order to come with him and clasped his brother's arm. The two didn't really have much of a choice, as they knew exactly how the tsundere Italian was when fully enraged.

Not believing what the hell had just happened in only a few minutes, Ludwig stood there near rooted to the spot. He couldn't believe that Lovino had really gone this far. Seriously? Forbidding his brother to not date a certain person just because of his own 'personal' reasons? That was just screwed up. Utterly screwed up.

It wasn't like he disliked Lovino, he tolerated him and his hatred and attempts to get him out of his life. Now that he's done this, he still wasn't sure whether to blame him or not.

The one thing that really hit Ludwig like a train wreck and made him almost feel sick was when Feliciano sadly turned his head to look at him, giving his once-boyfriend a look of absolute melancholy; complete with his eyes actually open for once and the tears bursting like a dam and beginning to trail down.

Honestly, Ludwig wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that he just lost Feliciano or that the aforementioned Italian was most likely crushed. But judging by the way there was this odd pang coming from his chest...

Apparently, it was from the both of those two facts.

_**The End...**_

…

…_**.**_

_**...Psyche! To Be Continued**_

**. . .**

MidnightSakuraBlossom18: So yeah, I don't understand how that tiny FML moment inspired me to write this chapter when it is clearly not relevant to each other at all. And you WOULD THINK the damn lazy security would have had to come in and break up the disturbance the four was causing, right? =.=

Despite the little teasing at the end, the story isn't over yet! I just wanted to see if anyone would take that seriously. Do you really think that me of all fanfiction writers would destroy Ludwig and Feliciano's relationship and then END the story right then and there? *Un-amused face* I wouldn't dare. *Is a major GerIta supporter*

I wasn't trying to make Lovino the bad guy here, but the way I see it is that he would actually do something this drastic and totally unfair. But he does have a heart too, he just can't accept that and must be an ass. Maybe Antonio can change his mind. I bet he will, but we shall see what happens. *Is also a major Spamano supporter*

Now what will Ludwig do...? :O will he defy Lovino and get Feliciano back, or will he just accept things and live in despair? I don't know about you readers, but I feel that it will be highly interested from here on...

Read and review!


	8. Seperation

**I know I left you hanging for a little while, sorry. But now it's time for the drama to take it's toll on Ludwig and Feliciano. You know that horrible feeling when your life gets intertwined into a Romeo and Juliet style plot? Anyone know the feeling? *Insert chirping crickets* :( Just enjoy the chapter...**

**This calls for some background music. *Clears throat and prepares to sing***

_**I'm all out of love**_

_**I'm so lost without you**_

_**I know you were right for believing for so long**_

_**I'm all out of love**_

_**What am I without you?**_

**_I can't be too late to say that I- _*I get shot to death, but it's okay because I really had this coming***

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

**. . .**

_**Just One Kiss**_

_**Chapter Nine: Separation**_

**. . .**

What could be done to clean up this mess?

Ludwig really wasn't sure what he could do to make everything right again. All he knew was that he had fallen near head over heels for a certain Italian friend of his, Feliciano Vargas. And upon this, he was worried about how he would be able to handle these feelings and had doubts about the possibility the guy may feel the same way considering the signals that he gave and tendency to flirt with girls he barely knew on the side of the road.

In the end, it all worked out well that one day they were caught out in the rain and took shelter together. When the confessions all came out. But Ludwig and Feliciano instantly realized that something was missing. Something important between them alone. And what is missing is a first kiss to really seal the deal. Just the thought of it alone made them nervous about how it should play out.

But doesn't everyone think that?

There were several attempts that Ludwig had tried throughout the rest of the week to kiss him, after some urging from his older brother Gilbert. And he even had the help of his girlfriend Elizabeta, whom just happened to have a close brother/sister type relationship with Feliciano. Apparently, everything all leads back to the same person here. In the past few days there was been plenty of unfortunate implications, embarrassment, failed attempts, and advice being thrown around. Yet; no kiss ever happened and it was apparent that it wouldn't ever.

But everyone tried to hold on to their composure and not get discouraged by the lack of intimate gestures. If they became too determined and bold, things may not ever go their way.

At long last, the decision was made to go to the movies for the new couple's first date in public where others could clearly take notice of their relationship. Which didn't really matter much, seeing as though same sex couples were being seen more and more lately. The date was supposed to be a memorable and fun evening for Ludwig and Feliciano, they shared high hopes for it's events even if they kept their expectations from the other hidden to prevent embarrassment.

At least everything was going well at first. You know, once they turned off their cellphones completely and Lovino and Gilbert couldn't be their obnoxious selves and cause a disturbance. It was extremely conflicting to have the former totally against the relationship and out to rip it apart to pieces, and the latter a little too much approving of it.

During the movie, they almost had that kiss they wanted. It felt so right just like any other time and Ludwig was sure that something would happen. However, that's when Feliciano's brother burst in with his _not boyfriend _Antonio and murdered the moment. It was bad enough that Lovino had reacted so unnecessarily drastic, but he had to do so _in public_.

Well now, now he was positive that the relationship between them had just gotten destroyed. Lovino declared that he didn't want Feliciano to be around him ever again, and he most likely was serious about that. Seeing as though he usually didn't want to have to upset his brother any more than he unknowingly did constantly, there was no doubt that he would agree to never be around him ever again. Fully realizing that he shouldn't be so submissive and let Lovino run all over him, but yet keeping in mind that he couldn't do anything to stand up for himself. In all honesty: _neither _of the brothers could stand up for themselves, but Lovino was just putting on that jackass facade up front for protection.

Looking back on all of this, it seemed more and more depressing the longer it stayed on his mind. Ludwig pulled into the driveway of his home and turned the motor off. Now in silence, and darkness, he closed his eyes and sunk a little into the seat.

'_How am I supposed to change Lovino's mind? He detests me, for some bizarre reason, and Feli will continue to be submissive and put up with his nonsense because he's just like that. I can't just waltz into their home and confront the two about this, I'll most likely be kicked out. Oh God,_' He sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling an intense headache forming. '_I always have to get myself into these crazy situations with other people. Half the time, I don't even know how the hell to get out._'

He opened the car door and exited the vehicle, making his way towards the dark porch, another thought came to mind; '_Seeing as though Gilbert and Elizabeta think they're so genre savvy, they might be able to provide some advice again. I just...can't accept having to come to them for help._'

Just about all of the lights in the house were off. Of course, this was not strange at all. Their father must be once again out living it up on Friday and Gilbert was more than likely with Elizabeta trying to get her to cooperate and have sex with him. Since nobody was home, maybe this was a chance to finally be alone and let himself think about how he's going to be able to get Feliciano back and out of his slightly-older brother's control.

Not surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Ludwig let himself in and gazed around the living room, not seeing any signs of someone home. Not even Gilbert trying to put the moves on Elizabeta on the couch. He glanced around and then made his way through the rest of the house to the stairs. Not bothering to try and look for anyone, he made his way down the second floor to his room and didn't bother to turn on the main light.

He just reached for the lamp and flicked it on, casting a dim glow in the room. It was the perfect way to add to to the mood at least. Ludwig paced the room a bit, wondering how Feliciano was doing and what could be done to fix things.

And in a matter of minutes, he started thinking back over to their kissing situation. Which couldn't possibly be resolved now, not when Feliciano was officially forbidden to see him and was most likely being kept under drastic and paranoid surveillance from Lovino. He really did have feelings for the clueless Italian, he really did now that he thought about it. Like said before, he just had no knowledge about how to express them or stop being so nervous about everything.

He sighed aloud and stripped off his jacket and adjusted the tank top he wore underneath, the first article of clothing was discarded onto the floor and he sat down on the edge of his bed...blushing as he recalled the events of the other night.

The first time he had slept with Feliciano – not in _that way_, mind you –. He could remember how awkward it was at first for him, especially considering he was completely naked of all things. But then...then everything was strangely okay a little bit later when he realized how close they had become and how warm and tempting to snuggle against he was. Still, Ludwig could not look at his bed the same way since then...is this good or bad?

He must really feel strongly about the pasta-loving Italian then. What other reason could explain why he felt so strange and unlike himself around him, was anxious to lock lips, or just longed to be in his presence. If you were to narrow it all down to one outcome, this was it. And now...now he wasn't sure if he could handle being distant from him now.

As Ludwig lied there in silent agony and stared up at the ceiling, he heard a loud SMACK. And then two more following. It all sounded like it was happening outside his bedroom window. He blinked and pushed himself off the bed, grabbing his discarded favorite green jacket and slipping it back on before making his way over.

When the German pulled back the curtains, he was surprised to see Antonio of all people at his window standing on a ladder for support. He was mouthing for him to be let inside. This just didn't make any sense at all...why couldn't he have just came around the front door like a normal person would?

Well, there must be some reason why the Spaniard decided to drop by this late into the night. Ludwig barely knew the guy, but he assumed this was true. He opened the window and Antonio climbed inside and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Whew, thanks for letting me inside." Antonio wiped the sweat from his brow and stretched his arms over his head. He obviously did not notice the fact Ludwig was staring at him with many questions as to why he was even here floating through his head. "Ah, I almost thought no one was home. But then I noticed the shining light from this room and found this old ladder I could use to get in. This is not awkward for you...is it?"

"Having another guy tap on your window in the middle of the night...?" Ludwig shook his head. "Of course not, it isn't awkward _at all_..."

"Okay, that's good!" Antonio smiled and proceeded to go on with explaining why he bothered to visit in the middle of the night especially after what happened earlier in town with Lovino. "I'm something of friends with your older brother Gilbert, in case you haven't been told. When Lovino dropped me back off at my place and then dragged his brother to theirs, I immediately gave Gilbert a text and told him the situation; he's been giving me status reports of you and Feliciano's friendship and relationship upgrade for a while now..."

Of course, Gilbert would do that. Ludwig sighed as Antonio babbled onward, he couldn't believe that so many people were starting to get involved in this situation. It didn't seem like a huge deal to him, but apparently everyone they knew personally had to play a role.

"You see, I was paying attention for a change back at the movie theater. I have to admit that it was unfair how Lovi pried in like that and forbid Feli to be around you. And I came here to ask...do you really care about Feli?"

"I..." Ludwig trailed off at seeing the smile on the Spaniard's face increase with the response he hoped he was receiving. It would be embarrassing to answer truthfully, but there would be no other way he could get Antonio to make his point clear and obvious. "Why are you so curious about how I feel about Feliciano? No offense, Antonio, it shouldn't matter to you."

Honestly, Antonio took no offense whatsoever to that. Although he hadn't anticipated this question as a retort to his original question. "It's fine, Ludwig. Hmm, well, I know that if you really do love someone...you should fight for them! Lovi will threaten you and show his fists all that he wants to, but he's really just as pathetic as his brother...would instigate a fight but never have the courage or power to put up a struggle."

"That's helpful. But, ah, how do _you _know this?"

"I've been madly infatuated with him for _years_, amigo. Even if he tries to reject me, abuse me, claim he wants me to go to hell and leave him alone..." Antonio sighed dreamily. "Nothing will ever convince me to give up on him. I fight for him all the time and never stop. One of these days, Lovi will have to realize that he wants me so badly-"

Ludwig interrupted him with a raised hand. "I get the picture." He thought for a moment and started to pace the room as Antonio laughed nervously at his infatuated ramblings and scratched the back of his head. "It seems like everyone else around me has someone that they're head over heels for and actually have the guts to make a move. Meanwhile, I'm over here unsure of how to do anything."

Antonio walked over and slung an arm around his shoulder, Ludwig briefly gave him an irritated glance as he realized this was so similar to what Gilbert did to him once he wanted to chat. "Well, I just know that you're crazy about Feliciano and I can't say that I blame you there. Lance-"

"_Ludwig_. Gilbert should have at least told you that much."

"Sorry. _Ludwig_, if you really do care about Feliciano then you'll come with me over to this house and sneak inside to talk to him, admit that you want to be with him more so than how you usually lead everyone else to believe, and you'll make a move and kiss him right there on the spot." Antonio's expression turned somewhat serious as he went on, it really caught Ludwig off guard. Seriously, why did Gilbert have such strange friends anyway? And why did one of them have to be obsessed with helping him?

Still, Ludwig had a theory as to Antonio's motives for paying a visit to their respected crushes' home. "You just want to tell Lovino how you feel and hope that he stops being in denial and accept the fact he's head over heels for you, Antonio?"

"...Yes. I mean, a little." Once again, his cheeks began to warm and Antonio scratched one as he chuckled. Ludwig sighed to himself, this guy was pretty determined, wasn't he? "Haha, you make it sound a little too desperate. But the truth is that I want to help you get back together with Feliciano as well. So, are you in or out?"

Of course, Ludwig didn't have to be asked twice. He knew that he wanted to straighten everything out and make Feliciano realize that he shouldn't let Lovino interfere with his life, and Lovino should just back down once in a while if he deep, deep, deep, deeeeeep down cares about his brother more so than what's he's even willing to accept. And between all of this, Antonio must get a truthful from Lovi about how he really feels about him. God, this seems so complicated.

He was silent for a moment, before reaching for his car keys and turning to the concerned Spaniard with a serious glint in his eyes. "You make a strategy, I'll drive."

Antonio couldn't fight an approving grin. "We're going to make a good team. And by the end of the night, we'll both have our boys back and maybe even in bed..."

"Now isn't the time for sexual fantasies, Antonio."

"Aw. You're right..."

It appeared that everything was going to be going their way. Seeing as though Ludwig and Antonio both had unmistakable feelings for one of the brothers then this chaos would be settled for everyone. And no one would be left with an unresolved relationship – which would really suck if that were to happen. Of course, someone would have to experience this.

Both were determined not to. Keep it up, boys. You keep it up.

As they entered the car, strapped their belts, and made their trip downtown, their strategies for how getting into the house to talk to the Italian brothers were forming in their minds. Undeniably, there were several different ways that they could do this. And most were, in fact, ridiculous.

After all, it wasn't likely that they could get inside – for all the duo knew: Feliciano was probably being locked inside his own bedroom against his will and forbidden from leaving unless it was _extremely necessary_. Meanwhile, Lovino was probably determined to not answer the door, suspecting that Ludwig and Antonio would make attempts to come and visit. And he hated the both of them...well, he _possibly _hated Antonio. But that is up for debate right now, isn't it?

If things were seen their way tonight, then just maybe...the two would get their boys. And elsewhere, Gilbert would somehow manage to get Elizabeta in bed. Everyone would at least have overcome these horrible and annoying milestones in their respected relationships.

'_Feliciano, just put up with your bruder for a few more moments, we'll be there soon to straighten everything out. And then, then we are going to share that kiss with no interruptions; even if we have to do so out on the sidewalk where everyone can get full glimpse of it. I...like you too much to let you suffer._'

'_...I wonder if Ludwig has any breath spray on hand. If my strategy works out just as planned, I'll have Lovi in my arms and finally get a taste of his lips. Hell, maybe we'll just go straight to his bedroom~!_'

_**. . .**_

"_Fratello_, please just...just reconsider this." Feliciano whimpered as he pressed himself to the door and tried in vain to open the damn door that Lovino had locked rather well. This was just wasn't right at all!

"I won't reconsider anything, dammit! And stop sounding so melodramatic over this situation; I'll unlock the door in the morning of course..." Lovino paused, even through the door that separated them, his huffing and scoffing could be heard. "This is a chance for you to be alone and get it through your fucking head that you don't need that bastard in your life. And then you'll have to move on to someone better that's actually _worth_ your affections."

"But I..."

"_Love him_?" Feliciano just remained silent, glancing down at the floor as a pink shade flooded to his cheeks. He knew that he really really liked Ludwig of course...but love? That was... "Humph, well you will just have to forget about him and move on to someone better. You'll do better...take me for an example."

Wait, what did he just say? That last part seemed a bit odd. Feliciano blinked repeatedly for once and looked back at the door, as if he were looking at his _Fratello _face to face. "Ve? Why would I take you as an example, Lovino? What do you mean?"

There was a long pause after that. Feliciano guessed that seeing as though there was silence and there were occasional loud footsteps being heard, he must have been pacing like he always did once extremely flustered or panicked.

"I...aaaah...you know...damn it...I-I'm talking about Antonio! He...ugh...forget it..."

"Ve~ I want to hear more. What does Antonio have to do with anything? Wait...are you saying that you actually...?"

"D-Dammit, yes! Are you happy now? You got your fucking confession out of me!" The pacing became more louder and Lovino sounded so furious, regretful, mortified, and so many other things that he never thought he would ever release. Emotions.

"I don't understand." Feliciano turned and walked back over to his bed. He was suddenly interested in hearing this 'confession' of Lovi's and sat on the edge hugging his knees to his body.

"You wouldn't understand...but I guess there's nothing else for us to do to to make the rest of the night pass right by, right? Humph...the truth is that your guess was right about me."

"You l-"

"Yes! Now shut the fuck up about that, it's embarrassing! If you want the truth...that bastard has always gotten under my skin and has been so annoying with the way that he's constantly flirting with me and just about stalking me...but he..." Another pause, which Lovino used to sigh as he went on. Hey, they had nothing else to do since he went drastic and locked all the doors in the house to make sure Ludwig couldn't make his way in. "He's just about the only person to care about me so much. I know he's annoying as hell...with his stupid smiling face that makes me feel week at seeing, his unpredictable actions and flirting attempts, and then there's that way he tries to calm me down when I'm pissed; saying soothing things in his slow and seductive accent..."

Feliciano reached for his cell phone and checked the time. He knew that this couldn't possibly go on forever, but he had to make sure. After all, sitting all alone in your dark bedroom with no way to open the door and having your older brother on the outside spontaneously deciding to confess about what he thinks of someone else could get boring.

However, even if he was interested in what Lovino had to say honestly about Antonio, he still was overall saddened by how the night turned out and the fact he probably wouldn't ever get to be around Ludwig again. Oh God, that last thought made the tears prick uncomfortably in the corners of his eyes and they screwed shut even more to try to get them to stop trying to leave.

One last time, Feliciano swallowed and raised a finger to delicately brush away a teardrop that was on the tip of his eyelashes. He hadn't even realized that Lovino was silent again and probably just as flustered and furious as he was earlier. Until he carried on with the confession of his.

"I know I claim I detest him, call him an annoying bastard scream various profanations at the top of my lungs at him when he tries to be affectionate...but it's all to hide the fact I deep, deep, deep, deep down sort of..."

"Ve~ I think what you're trying to say is that...you still have feelings for him despite all the annoying, rough, and embarrassing moments you share?"

"That's basically it. But you fucking better not tell him or anyone else that I confessed these things! I'll do something worse than just locking you in your own bedroom to make up your mind!"

Once again, Feliciano glanced downward. Trying hard to make sure his voice didn't waver again as he said somewhat quietly, "Ve...I understand. Since we're actually opening up for what feels like the first time ever...maybe I should tell you how I even realized that I really, really liked Ludwig?"

"It would make things even for us. Now skip the pointless bullshit about what happened to get you two together as a couple; because that topic makes me sick and so fucking disgusted to even hear."

Feliciano didn't understand why they were choosing this moment to be honest about their feelings for certain people, but he didn't dare question. He knew that this was the first time in a while that both had been confessing things on their minds. As they never had the _best_ sibling relationship.

Well, that was one-sided on Lovino's part. Feliciano tried to overlook his _Fratello's _bad characteristics and keep their relationship manageable. Even if he was feeling down from what had happened tonight, he found the strength to wear a broken smile.

"Ve~ It's sort of odd, I always did really like him a lot. More than what I probably should have as a friend and nothing more. Seeing as though Ludwig is sort of shy, I wasn't sure if he would ever realize how I always felt..."

"Why would you still try and throw yourself onto some bastard that probably wouldn't have returned your feelings...?"

"I..." Feliciano's fingers dug in around his legs that were hugged tightly to his body. He found himself feeling disapproving over how Lovino viewed Ludwig, he honestly just wanted everyone to get along. Why couldn't his _Fratello _see that? "Ve~ I still wanted him to know how I felt. Of course, he was admittedly good at concealing his emotions and I always wondered how he truly saw me...and now the answer is clear to me."

"..."

"It's just as Elizabeta told me yesterday." A blush sneaked into Feliciano's fair skin, he raised his fingers to trace over and feel the heat. Almost embarrassed to be saying all of this to Lovino when it was obvious that he...would never approve of the relationship and would still be hellbent on interfering as much as possible. "Even if he is too shy and awkward on the inside to show it...Ludwig feels the same way I do. That's why he's been so determined to get me alone somewhere to share our first kiss. I have been _wondering _the whole time why he was like this over it."

"Whoa, what the hell are you talking about? He actually tried to kiss you and you were going to _allow _that?" Feliciano flinched, Lovino was using his angry tone now. The tone that he used when he was officially close to absolute rage, the boiling and breaking point.

Before a nervous Feliciano could explain farther and make a fail attempt to reason with him, loud knocking could be heard throughout the house, like someone was at the door. But this seemed strange...

Why would someone drop by at this hour? And who could it possibly be?

Lovino was more than pissed at the fact their so-called brotherly conversation got put on pause. He groaned loudly and cursed, then angrily told Feliciano they would finish it after he went downstairs and yelled at their annoying visitor. And he warned him to not try anything stupid and unlikely to bust out like a prisoner at a highly-guarded facility.

But what choice did Feliciano have but to sit there on his bed and watch the door sadly as Lovino descended down the stairs to go cuss out their visitor. Seeing as though he was gone, the saddened Italian released a long sigh and softly plopped back down onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

His eyes still stung even from the small amount of tears that he had tried to keep secret on the ride home; Antonio being the only one of the two to really notice well and mouth some questions referring to whether he was okay or not. Normally, he would not have made any attempts to hide his tears. But after freaking out during that movie and practically looking brokenhearted when leaving the theater with his brother and his _not boyfriend_, he figured he shouldn't make himself look any more pathetic.

Even if he truly wasn't the strongest person around.

It just hurt him deeply. To know that he finally found someone he really, really liked and then found out his feelings were returned. Proceeding afterward with sweet and somewhat awkward moments and suspense and anxiety for the big damn first kiss he hoped to get. Only to have everything collapse too soon all because of Lovino not approving of the relationship and having to be so controlling over his life.

Now he could easily call Ludwig up with his cellphone. He could pick the lock. He could even gather all of his very-limited courage and stand up to Lovino. But Feliciano could not bring himself to carry out these suggestions without feeling the tears prick in his eyes again.

He truly was pathetic, wasn't he? To not be able to decide what to do to straighten out this mess he had fallen into unknowingly. It wasn't that he was an idiot, he was just sometimes too oblivious and easily swayed.

Feliciano rolled over onto his side, his fingers grabbed the covers and clawed them as he tried to fight the incoming tears. He couldn't cry anymore, it would be ridiculous to. He would just have to...have faith that Lovino would have a change of heart, Antonio would come up with a crazy scheme, or Ludwig would be admirably bold and come along to his aid again. Or hell, all of the above would be great.

What Feliciano didn't realize, was that soon enough: this mess would get straightened out and he would get that happy ending he wanted so badly. Just in an unexpected way.

_**. . .**_

Lovino, meanwhile, sulked through the house cussing the entire time. He didn't need to have to see any stupid visitors now, not when he was feeling utterly angry from the fact Feliciano couldn't realize he didn't need that annoying German bastard in his life, and humiliated from the fact he had just about gotten too deep into the moment and confessed a little _too much_ about how he really felt about Antonio.

His life has been nothing but hell these past few weeks. All because of his stupid brother's love life. And honestly, he really shouldn't give fuck about what Feliciano did or who he was interested in. He shouldn't be worried at all.

So why...why did he still have to be concerned deep down?

He arrived at the door, unlocked it, and opened it unnecessarily roughly and hastily. When he got a good view of the visitor standing before him, his ever-present scowl deepened and his mood turned that much more sour. It just _had_ to be _him_, didn't it?

So the only question that Lovino had formulated was a hostile: "And what the hell are _you_ doing here...?"

_**To Be Continued.**_

_**. . .**_

***Raises a tiny white flag* Please...please don't be annoyed or angry at me for being late with the update, okay? D: I mean, my birthday was days ago and I was hanging out with my friends and family over the rest of the weekend. I hadn't the chance to get started on the chapters and one-shots.**

**The rest of the week was extremely busy. I'm looking for another job on the side so...yeah...that really takes up a nice chunk of one's day. It doesn't help to have your best friend/roommate constantly breathing down your neck (almost literally, in fact) about how you need to get going again before that bitch, writer's block makes it's dreaded return on 'ya. *Sighs in an exhausted manner***

**I hope that the chapter was good anyway. The end is in sight now. But first: Ludwig and Antonio will have to scheme to get their boys, *Pours up some drinks in preparation for the end*, and then we'll all get some booze and celebrate should they win them because we're just that obsessive, am I right...? n.n …Wait...what? :|**

**Fun Fact: The scenes with Feliciano and Lovino having their exchange through the locked door was originally going to be deleted because it felt out of nowhere and unnecessary. But then I worked with it more and wrote up on paper three possibly outcomes from it. None seemed good. So I left the exchange in anyway and had it all come to StormofyourDestiny's suggestion: have a surprise visitor by the end with a cliffy. That's why it may seem...rushed. *Cringes at that word, as she hates it***

**Read and review~!**


	9. Reunited Again

**The end of this story is in sight now. I'm guessing that after this chapter, there will be an epilogue to wrap things up. I just felt the need to point this out. Well, anyway, I hope this chapter is to your liking~! ^^**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

**. . .**

**Just One Kiss**

**Chapter Ten(?): Reunited Again (Alternative Title: The Big Damn Moment Has Arrived! XD)**

**. . .**

Lovino arrived at the door, unlocked it, and opened it unnecessarily roughly and hastily. When he got a good view of the visitor standing before him, his ever-present scowl deepened and his mood turned that much more sour. It just _had_ to be _him_, didn't it?

So the only question that Lovino had formulated was a hostile: "And what the hell are you doing here...?"

**. . .**

**PREVIOUSLY**

_Arriving at the brothers' home gave both Ludwig and Antonio a rush of adrenaline. They both knew that now they would get their boys once and for all, and possibly slaughter any bad tension between all four of them. So that a situation like this one would never happen again._

_The two got out of the car and walked closely through the surprisingly well-kept yard. It was already pitch black and the full moon rose high in the sky. The air was cool and yet so eerie. Silence was surrounding._

_It made the suspense for the both of them soar to endless heights, to be honest. You can't deny that this setting was so perfect for the situation at hand. And for Ludwig and Feliciano, this would make an epic location to finally share that first kiss they both wanted._

"_Do you have our strategy?" Ludwig asked hopefully as he followed Antonio to the house silently and stealthily. "We can't just enter without thinking."_

_As anticipated, Antonio smiled and winked. "Of course I have a strategy. But we must follow it carefully for it to work out." He beckoned Ludwig closer and, although disturbed by their closeness, the confused German responded. "Listen to me closely, Ludwig..."_

_And so, Antonio went on to explain the strategy he had developed over the trip to the house. As the two crouched on the ground underneath one of the windows on the first floor, he whispered everything. His plan was simple: Antonio would be daring and knock on the door, then let himself in as he usually did when Lovino answered. This would give Ludwig the golden opportunity to go around to Feliciano's bedroom window and throw whatever he could find that was heavy at the window, to get his attention so that they could talk from the distance._

_When it was safe for Ludwig to sneak in, once Antonio had relaxed an edgy Lovino, the Spaniard would go to the doorway and give a special signal to his cue. And then, at long last, Ludwig could make his way in and to wherever his boyfriend was in the house. If his brother figured things out, Antonio mentioned as an after thought that he would find some way to prevent him from doing anything and naturally succeed._

_And this all actually sounded crazy enough to work._

_Ludwig and Antonio looked back at each other afterward, and nodded. As quick as they could manage, they separated ways to one of their Italians._

**. . .**

There he was, that stupid Antonio standing in the doorway suspiciously smiling and trying to be as casual as he could manage. The suspense was honestly killing him inside, hoping that Lovino would not figure out his motives _just yet_.

"Now, now," Antonio chuckled and stepped into the house, Lovino just glared and tried to slyly maneuver himself in front of him so that he couldn't officially be in his house. "No need to be so hostile, Lovi~ I know that it's all to hide the fact you're happy to see me here like this."

"Get out of here, you annoying bastard! I have better things to be doing with my life!" Lovino spat, grabbing the door and swiftly slamming it. He didn't need to endure this guy's advances anymore, not after his little ambush earlier this afternoon, his unpleasant/pleasant view of him shirtless, and finally his attempts to glomp him to death in public at the movie theater.

Ah, actually, Lovino tried to slam the door. But Antonio and his quick reflexes countered on him; his foot reached out and stopped the door. And seeing as though he had no choice but to let the annoying bastard in, Lovino scowled and air was rushing in and out of his nostrils.

"Thanks for letting me in so late..." Antonio just about skipped past Lovino into the room and gazed around with mock-interest. The place looked pretty nice, he had to admire the brothers' choice in design. It almost made him drift off into fantasy land and wonder what him and Lovi's future home would look like. "Do you have anything to drink?"

"There's no way in hell I would offer you something to drink! Now why the hell are you visiting me in the middle of the night?"

To Lovino's confusion and impatience, Antonio strolled around the room for a brief moment. He assumed that he was just trying to be overly dramatic about the reason why he had come here. But this wasn't the case; he was actually trying to stall for time so that Ludwig could sneak around the premiss undetected.

At long last, Antonio stopped walking over by a bookshelf crammed with various magazines, novels, the usual stuff. He didn't make eye contact with Lovino at his side as his tanned fingers skimmed the titles with no interest whatsoever. "I need to talk to you about something important...and I want you to be truthful from end to end."

"Depends on what the topic is, idiot." Murmured Lovino bitterly. He didn't need to stand here and waste time when he needed to be acting all tough and unwavering outside of Feliciano's door; drilling some sense through his thick skull about Ludwig.

On top of that, Lovino was inwardly a little bit of a nervous wreck. He could barely meet his eyes, not now when he had previously just about admitted to Feliciano he didn't hate the guy as much as he wanted to believe. Even if he acted very pissed off whenever he tried to be flirtatious, cussed him out for setting foot into his home whether he be invited or uninvited, and reacted violently to simple comments he "found offending", he still knew that he was falling for him.

It just deeply hurt his pride to think that. Not to mention, he wasn't good at expressing his emotions and _didn't_ wish to be able to do. Antonio simply wouldn't accept this fact.

At least the bastard hadn't been around to hear the...semi-confession. But even if he didn't hear what he said against his will, Lovino still refused to meet his eyes too long in fear that maybe he would be able to notice what he was thinking and what he was feeling.

Antonio remained silent for a moment, his hand finally freezing on some book that he really didn't care about at all and he was just making an attempt at being dramatic. "It's a topic that will probably annoy you," Lovino bristled upon hearing this, trying to hold his guard to make sure he didn't send an obvious signal. "Sooner or later, you'll have to tell me the truth."

"What are you rambling about-"

"Lovino," Lovino's dark brown eyes widened immediately once he found Antonio turning sharply towards him and grabbing his shoulders. He really, really didn't expect that move at all. Oh God, what was he to do now...? "All these years of knowing you, I've been falling more and more for you. And, you may not believe me seeing as though you want to think you're not meant to have anyone special in your life, but it's so true! I think about you _constantly_, you make me forget everything else and when we're together I just can't keep myself under control. I've spent several nights in bed in the middle of the night unable to sleep because I was thinking about how I could get you alone so that I could tell you." Antonio paused, smiling nervously now and his tone sounding more relaxed and less desperate. "You may push me away and try anything in your power to make me leave you alone. You may throw around curses and harsh words. But I know that it's probably all out of denial and whatever issues you obviously have...lately, I've been suspecting that you're just as crazy about me as I am for you."

Seeing as though Lovino now looked shell-shocked and interestingly bright red in the face as his mind freaking short-circuited from all of that he just heard in a very dramatic few moments, Antonio decided that maybe he should leave the confession at a pause momentarily. He would pick it up later though.

Strange enough, Antonio had forgotten about how Ludwig was probably doing at this point. He had just gotten that lost within the moment he didn't even...care about what might be happening elsewhere. But that was okay, keeping all of these emotions hidden away when around Lovino as to not make him uncomfortable or put him on the spot. And seeing as though there was a silence, his cheeks warmed a bit, somewhat embarrassed with himself for doing this so out of the blue.

But wait! There was no reason to be embarrassed about anything...right? After all, he _wanted_ Lovino. And he _wanted_ Lovino to know how he felt exactly word by word. Besides, he knew all along that how he would distract the tsundere Italian from his younger brothers' lockdown by finally coming clean about everything. Maybe it was just this...awkward silence that filled the air.

Sure, let's go with that.

"Lovino...?" Antonio slowly and awkwardly lifted his hands from the frozen Italian's very tense shoulders and they retreated unwillingly. He almost thought that, for a moment, he broke him. "Um, are you okay? I am sorry if I said anything uncomfortable..."

"..."

"Please, for once in your life, tell me how you really feel about me. It's killing me to now know the truth; having to wonder every night and let my fantasies run wild – not that I don't _mind _the fantasies..."

Finally getting back to earth, Lovino's face basically just summed up exactly how he felt at the moment. The ever-present scowl was finally broken and he looked so cutely nervous and bewildered for a change, good thing he didn't realize it or else that would have been very humiliating. And finally, he began to pace the room in deep thought.

On one hand, his mind was like: hell yes~! He feels the same way~!

The other: Fuck, did he really just say all that? Does he honestly, seriously feel that strongly about someone like _me_? And the hell do _I feel _about this or him?

Lovino remained silent and started to pace the room nervously, arms crossed and the most confused expression visible as his face reddened with each passing second. He just didn't know what to say here. And why was he slowly forgetting about the fact that Feliciano was still locked away by force in his own bedroom and he was supposed to be there bashing Ludwig?

"Lovi," Antonio extended a hand momentarily as he took one step forward. "There's no reason for you to react so dramatically, I mean, a simple yes or no will convince me. I just..." His hand kind of lingered in the air, and he brought it back to his side as his cheeks once again more warmer than what would be considered normal. "I just had to get this off my chest and settle all of this horrible tension between us. If you reject me, I won't care at all. I'll still go on burning with passion...from a distance – IF I can handle leaving you alone."

That comment suddenly made Lovino bristle. Just at the thought of Antonio actually giving up on him and ceasing all of his stupid and outrageous attempts to flirt or ask him out somewhere _nice and quiet_. It made his brows immediately furrow. "...Don't you dare consider leaving me alone, bastard." His tone, it was so bitter, lonely, almost scornful. Antonio's expression changed to that of mild surprise when his striking brown eyes locked on him.

"I..." Antonio slowly, slowly registered and took in Lovino's words. And once procession was complete, it all fit together perfectly – his interpretation of what he basically snapped in his typical mood swing. "I've never even thought about leaving you alone. Because when I'm not with you, there's a part of me that's constantly wishing to be there. Lovino, what's this all about?"

"It's nothing, dammit!" Lovino's clasped fits at his sides began to twitch continuously and he made his way across the room to the couch, he took a seat angrily and kept his eyes averted from Antonio. "And listen closely: if you don't leave in five seconds, I'm going to call the fucking cops on your ass!"

Instead of taking Lovino's sudden, oddly shaky and unsure threats and leaving, Antonio shook his head and took a seat on the couch as well, infuriating the Italian to the boiling point.

After all, he couldn't leave yet. He needed to find out the truth; which was one of his main motives for joining with Ludwig for the evening. And since he was interested in being one of those to witness that one long-awaited kiss that Ludwig and Feliciano were going to have sooner or later, he would need to give the former more time to be with the latter and get this mess of a situation untangled.

Not to mention that Lovino's behavior was very strange at this moment. He appeared to be even more on guard against the world and his words were spoken with obvious fury and hurt. But why...? What the hell had had gone on before they arrived at the house?

Lovino's shoulders tensed when an arm sneaked around them securely and it certainly had no intention of retreating before he found a way to crane his neck and bite the persistent Spaniard at his side.

"You can tell me what's wrong, Lovi." Antonio flashed another brilliant smile when Lovino's clouded eyes shifted to him. "I think that all of us have some things we need to say to somebody tonight. And...I need to know if you want me in your life or not."

"..." Lovino once again sighed and tried to keep up his pissed facade, but it was cracking more and more. His gaze was locked on the furniture rather than Antonio's beautiful smile as his eyes just clouded with emotion. "Fuck, I guess there's no way around this."

"I won't leave you alone until I get my answer."

Leave...Lovino immediately tensed up again at that word. It was disgusting to have to hear that. "I don't think I can tell you anything. Knowing you, you'll get the wrong idea because you're such an goddamn irritating bastard..."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Antonio, seeing that Lovino wasn't really paying attention all that much now as he decided whether to comeback or not, inched closer to him on the soft couch. "For once in your life, open up to me. Don't bottle everything up; because it's going to make you feel worse as time goes on. And seeing you like this...it really affects me."

Lovino turned and gave him a fazed look, this was when Antonio made his move and came even closer towards him; to the point of grabbing his shoulders and turning him to where their eyes were meeting directly.

"Tell me how you really feel about me. And it doesn't matter what you say..." Antonio struggled to finish the sentence, as it seemed like any mentioning of leaving him alone made Lovino turn very edgy. "I'll still be here."

This was when Lovino's breath hitched in his throat and his expression once again revealed his surprise.

**. . .**

Antonio should be distracting Lovino by now. Ludwig assumed this was the likely situation inside the house right now. So all he had to do was sneak around to the other side of the house where Feli's room was located.

It was a good thing that he had been over here before and knew the layout of the house. Otherwise: he would probably be tangled in an awkward situation involving him, Lovino, and the wrong room. That would kill the entire strategy and God knows how pissed off the very tsundere Italian would be.

Still, Ludwig had to admit Antonio's plan seemed to be working after all. He could make it around the house undetected and perfectly silent in the darkness and stillness of the night. Once around the back of the house, he looked up to find himself underneath a window.

Feliciano's window. And he knew that someone was in there, judging by the fact a dim light was shining.

'_I made it to the window undetected, Lovino is nowhere in sight, and all I have to do is find a way to get Feliciano's attention. At long last..._' Ludwig glanced through the darkness, searching for some sort of item that he could use to toss at the window and get his attention. But it wasn't very simple: there was nothing in sight, and their gardens were on the other side. '_Hmm, this may be tougher than we both anticipated. There's got to be something useable...something in the yard..._'

If only he had thought about getting Antonio to bring along that _convenient ladder_ of his. Then, he could skip past the fruitless search for some kind of useable item. The gardens were on the other side, and he would probably mess them up if he were to try and cross them in the dark. Besides, Ludwig was aware tossing a gardening tool at the frame would break it and the noise would summon Lovino in a heartbeat.

Goddammit, this situation was so frustrating.

In fact, Ludwig almost voiced that thought in his state of irritation. But then he remembered that he still had his cellphone with him and Antonio had his; he could easily give him a call and request that he find some way to slip out of the house for a moment around the garden and maybe get some stones that he could throw at the window.

Thank God for cellphones. Quickly, Ludwig pulled out his cellphone and dialed Antonio's number...

**. . .**

Lovino glanced downward, purposely avoiding Antonio's curious face. There was no way that he could avoid giving some kind of answer. There was just no way. And maybe, there was no point whatsoever in continuing to escape the truth and deny how he really felt. He already knew how Antonio felt after all; even though that was obvious from the very beginning and being startled by the revelation seemed ridiculous in hindsight.

For a few more tense moments, Lovino sat there on the couch and kept his gaze locked on the ground, nervously shuffling his hands together. At long last, he sighed and responded, "Do you really want the truth?" '_Such a fucking nosy bastard. Why do I feel this way about him, again?_'

"Yes. There's no reason for you to not be truthful now, just come completely clean." '_Come on, come on! Just tell me!_'

"...Humph, do you know why I always try and push you away from me? Why I always jump at any chance to call you an annoying bastard, act completely pissed off even if we just make eye contact, or put you down in general?" Lovino's face reddened and his eyes immediately screwed shut, he couldn't believe he was actually saying this. It was freaking bad enough he had to admit it to his brother of all people first. "I...I d-don't mean it HALF the time. Sometimes I find myself...you know...constantly acting strange around you and I've tried so hard to convince myself it isn't what I think it is. It fucking kills my pride to admit it...but I kind of, deep down, l-"

_RING! RING! RING!_

Now that was quite the mood killer. Lovino's eyes snapped open in shock and he turned to see Antonio quickly digging through his pocket and then pulling out his cellphone. His face twisted into an evil scowl and he was so ready to explode in rage and at least rip that damn phone in half.

Ignoring Lovino for a brief moment, Antonio checked the number and sighed. '_I can't answer Ludwig right now...not when I was SO CLOSE to getting a confession out of Lovi! Well, maybe he didn't need anything except a pep talk; so all I can do is ignore him._' Without a second thought, Antonio put the phone on silent and tossed it carelessly behind his shoulder into the floor.

"Ah...sorry about that..."

"..."

"So, please go on~!" All Antonio received was an un-amused glare.

**. . .**

"Why isn't he answering his phone? Antonio talks so much that I'm surprised he doesn't wear out his latest cellphones..." Ludwig sighed and aborted the call. If Antonio hadn't answered by now, there was obviously something very wrong here.

Well, that was a fail attempt on his part. Ludwig closed the fan back with a finger and leaned against the outer wall of the house to think for a moment. There had to be some kind of way that he could get Feliciano's attention; considering the window was quite high up and he had no convenient ladders, stones, or anything one could hurl silently.

He needed and wanted to be with Feliciano. He couldn't believe that he had fallen so much for him since the moment the ditzy Italian decided they should become friends. He was surprised that his feelings for him had just driven beyond platonic in the span of, approximately, one year. Even if Ludwig was awkward when it came to personal relationships, even if he had to rely on nosy friends (read: Gilbert, Elizabeta, Kiku, and Antonio) to know what to do, even if it was difficult to find it in him to seal the deal with a kiss already, he still needed Feliciano to know and be convinced that he has someone whom his absolutely crazy about him.

And tonight, Ludwig was ready to show Feliciano exactly what he meant to him.

**. . .**

Tonight, Gilbert knew that he was going to be able to show Elizabeta exactly how crazy he was for her. How very crazy all the lack of intimacy in their relationship lately was killing him. The both of them had been out together at a club and he was sure that he would be able to get some if she were to get very drunk.

His plan...backfired somehow.

Long story short, Elizabeta had decided not to drink at the club because she knew that one drink leads to two...two lead to ten...ten lead to thirty...until you are just so wasted that you end up doing something so ridiculous that it scars your reputation forever. So she settled on simple water. Gilbert on the other hand...he kind of chugged down so much alcohol and became so drunk that he began to cause a disturbance.

She had to take him back to her home for the evening, knowing that their father was working late (read: yeah, how interesting when you take into consideration that he wasn't dressed up very professionally when leaving the house and Gilbert had discovered condoms in his desk drawer...) again, and Ludwig wouldn't be home because he was supposedly out on that big date with Feliciano. And she couldn't trust leaving him behind all alone in that house.

While he lied passed out in her bed, Elizabeta slipped off her bright green sweater that had a strong scent of alcohol on it, and checked the time with her phone. Then, an idea formulated in her head.

Elizabeta smiled, dialing a certain number as quickly as she could. "I know I'm probably just going to be annoying to Ludwig, but I must get a status report of their date..." She pressed the phone to her ear and tried to contain her eager smile as she waited for an answer.

Then she let out a gasp when she felt two hands suddenly crawl up her back and unhook her bra. She turned around sharply with a glare, to see the supposedly passed out form of Gilbert sitting right there behind her and smirking suggestively. Elizabeta finally sighed and aborted the call.

Oh, it was going to be a long night...in _more ways than one_.

**. . .**

Feliciano aimlessly walked around his room, he was bored to death and it seemed like time was passing by so slowly. So unbelievably slowly. This sure wasn't the first time that Lovino had done something this drastic, but he still felt so...depressed? Maybe.

What bothered him a lot was that there was no way he could ever see Ludwig again; Lovino would be constantly watching him like a hawk and keeping into contact with him at all times, asking where he would be going and when he would be returning, who he was going to be around...the usual stuff. This was so depressing.

He wanted to be with Ludwig, he just...he just couldn't stop himself from wondering how he was doing or what he thought about this entire situation. And for a brief moment, Feliciano slipped away into mental pictures of him. It seemed like they had been separated for a very long amount of time. A sharp pain kept stabbing his heart as he tried to convince himself that he would be able to get out of this mess. Hopefully. And at least be able to see Ludwig one last time and tell him face to face exactly how strongly he felt before Lovino had his thing and slashed their ties completely.

After all of the time of being around Ludwig, Feliciano knew that he was falling more and more for him. Maybe his fratello was right after all...he was actually in love with him. That was why he could not stop feeling very ecstatic when he was even around in his presence, didn't want to have to leave him, and he was hurting so badly right now and feeling sick.

_The rain was pouring heavily onto the earth and Ludwig and Feliciano both scurried through it, trying to find some shelter. It wasn't everyday that a very harsh rainstorm suddenly appeared during the middle of the day. Maybe they should have checked the weather after all, before they decided to go out alone like this._

_You see, Ludwig and Feliciano happened to be classmates and had a very ambiguous friendship. Secretly, they have always liked each other...far beyond what can be considered platonic. Feliciano was very ditzy, innocent, and could be very clingy. With the way that he treated Ludwig, Ludwig wasn't quite sure what the hell to think of it. Because he generally was awkward with people, which you wouldn't think at first glance. Social interaction was all a mystery for him._

_But now that so much time had passed, all these years of wondering what he thought of the pasta-loving boy, he was able to conclude that maybe he did...you know, like him in that kind of way. He refused to say something rash, like love. It was too embarrassing to even think of. So now, he guessed that Feliciano should know what he thought._

_Ludwig had a strategy in mind. After school was over, he would ask Feliciano to come along with him somewhere nice and quiet. Keeping the details as to why, very vague. And curiosity got the better of Feliciano in the end; he readily agreed to go with him somewhere. The only quiet place that they could think of was the local park._

_The local park was fair-sized and not many people would stop by anymore. One side of the area had well-kept grass and no trees, with benches and a large fountain in the center. The other side could be entered as well, but it had really grown trees and taller grass. The benches were limited, but the area was very quiet and perfect for chilling alone after a stressful day._

_Just when Ludwig and Feliciano arrived at the park, rain began to sprinkle lightly...that wasn't a big deal. Until it picked up and became so heavy that it forced them to start searching for a place to take shelter before they got so drenched to the bone and became extremely sick. At least it was just the two of them though...everyone else had most likely done the smart thing and checked the weather forecast._

_Long story short, the two went deeper to the other side of the park and immediately sat down underneath the tree, shaking and shivering from the freezing rain and trying to catch their breaths. Damn, it was coming down so hard and it was near impossible to see through!_

_Instead of worrying about his own condition, Ludwig was quick to switch his attention to the shivering and shaking Italian sitting beside him. Seeing as though they were protected from the rain, he sighed and leaned over, grabbing Felician's shoulders and helping him get out of his soaked jacket. "You shouldn't leave your jacket on, Feliciano. You're going to get sick that way."_

"_Ve...you're...you're right." Feliciano managed to say through the chattering of his teeth. He gratefully allowed his friend to slip off the soaked jacket of his school uniform. And once it was discarded, and he was left in his t-shirt, he took the jacket and tried to wring it out. "I hate that it had to rain..."_

"_Things like this always have to pop up when you least expect them to." Ludwig ran his fingers through his soaked bangs freely falling over his forehead and almost couldn't even look at Feliciano for some reason. "Look, if I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have even-"_

"_No, no, I'm not mad at all." Feliciano insisted quickly, he didn't want Ludwig to think that he was mad about anything. In reality, he saw no reason to be. These kind of things always happen anyway._

"_It's because of me that we're out here underneath a tree, soaked to the bone, and unable to go back to our homes."_

"_Ve~ I guess we could have easily talked elsewhere." Feliciano's cheeks warmed a bit as he sat the jacket aside and turned to Ludwig, the both of them looked equally ridiculous being soaked with rain and shivering to death. "Hey, there's no reason for Ludwig to be so hard on himself. I would rather be trapped out in the rain with you than me alone."_

_Ludwig blinked. "Why are you saying that?"_

_Feliciano didn't reply to that. His actions basically said everything. Without the slightest warning, he shifted himself closer to Ludwig and rested his head against his body, trying to get some body heat. Well, he hoped that Ludwig assumed this was the real reason, because in reality, he also had been waiting for a chance to do something like this._

"_Feliciano..." Just a few seconds ago, Ludwig was freezing from the rain. But now, he was staring down at the comfortable, thoroughly soaked Italian with a bewildered expression and his face felt as if it had just been set aflame._

"_Mmm, you're so comfortable, Ludwig~!" It was at this point that Ludwig was very sure his face was impossibly red all over. That's what it felt like at least. He didn't know what the hell to do; with Feliciano suddenly being very overly friendly and quite confusing._

_And the rain kept on falling loudly._

_Feliciano looked up and met Ludwig's eyes, his own actually opened and his lips curved into a smile. It was just...it was just so damn endearing...Ludwig may have looked at least somewhat under control of his emotions outwardly, but he was sure that his heart had missed a beat._

"_Um...I know that this may be sudden...ve~ I've been trying to show you for a long time, but I may not be getting the point across." Feliciano's eyes looked hazy for a moment, and they once again closed and he shook his head, looking surprisingly serious. "Ludwig, I...I have to tell you something right now."_

"_Is it really this important?" Feliciano nodded. "Well, we are trapped underneath this tree, so we may as well try and speed up the time. After you tell me whatever you have to say..." Ludwig broke off there, adding in the back of his mind: 'Because there is something that I have to confess too. And I swear I don't have the slightest idea how to spit it out.'_

"_Grazie." Feliciano faltered a bit, but was somewhat encouraged to go on when he felt Ludwig's strong arm awkwardly slip around him securely and pull him closer. And...was that a fleeting hint of a smile on his usually-stoic face? "Ludwig I...like you."_

_Silence. Well, other than the loud rain falling over the earth._

_Worried that it may have come out wrong, Feliciano sat up more and waved his hands hysterically in his paranoia. "I don't mean that in a friendly sort of way...I mean that I really, REALLY like you! As in...um...I kind of, sort of, want to be more than friends!"_

_Louder than ever, the rain fell in the background. The temperature outside was freezing and the atmosphere, very misty._

_Ludwig and Feliciano continued to just stare in equal surprise over the whole situation, feeling the intense heat flood to their cheeks faster than the falling rainwater over them. Someone would have to say something sooner or later._

_But the truth of the matter was that Feliciano was surprised he managed to bring himself to say that after all this time of relying on body language alone to give Ludwig a hint._

_Ludwig was just surprised that Feliciano managed to take the words right out of his mouth. Because he was planning on saying the exact same thing, maybe not following those lines exactly...but pretty closely._

_Honestly, he was at loss of words. Ludwig didn't want to kill the moment, the one that he had been hoping for and dreaming for a while now when he realized that he must feel something for Feliciano. And he certainly did not want to rush anything. It needed to be timed just right...his confession..._

"_Ve! I'm sorry if I brought anything awkward up!" Feliciano insisted quickly, increasingly nervous by the lack of response. He almost faltered after coming to the conclusion that his feelings must not be returned. In fact, he did, lowering his head and avoiding Ludwig's face at all costs._

"_No, it's...it's alright." Reassured now, Feliciano lifted his head immediately; just in time to get a glimpse of Ludwig turn bright red and try to hide his face from view. "Feliciano, listen, I kind of...you see...I feel the same way. The only reason I brought you out here was so I could tell you."_

_Feliciano's eyes immediately snapped totally open. He felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders, that everything was right with the world. As each second passed, the beat of his heart quickened and Ludwig could just sense the happiness glowing from him. Unable to contain himself, the thrilled Italian reached his arms up around Ludwig's neck and embraced him._

_And the intense rain shower began to lose it's force and lighten up..somewhat._

Recalling this memory of how exactly he worked up the nerve to confess to Ludwig, Feliciano's cheeks reddened. He still was glad that he was able to do such a thing, for he hadn't ever met anyone that he liked as much as him. And since doing it, all of these years have been very enjoyable even if they were sometimes confusing and very awkward.

Oh, how he really wanted to be with him tonight. Perhaps, entangled underneath the bed covers, fast asleep in his arms. Yes, that would be so wonderful.

But, Feliciano brought his head from the clouds and lied upside down on the edge of his bed. He needed to try and get his mind off of Ludwig, but he just couldn't now. Since Lovino brought him home from their date, every other thought was Ludwig-centric. By this point, he was sure that he was too into him to just listen to his fratello and simply forget that he even exists.

He was certain that now...he would have to relapse back to liking him and not being able to find it in him to make some sort of move. But the difference is: he would do so at a restricted distance that Lovino would more than likely give him. Which reminded Feliciano for an instant moment; where in the world was Lovino? He would have normally rejected visitors at this hour.

But before Feliciano could dwell on these thoughts, he could hear the ringtone of his cell go off. It was probably Elizabeta or Kiku or someone...he sighed and reached for the phone at his side, too stripped off energy to glance at the number.

"Hello?"

"Feliciano, it's Ludwig." Feliciano immediately bolted up into a sitting position and struggled to hold back a very happy gasp. He was so surprised that he hadn't the slightest idea what to say.

"L-Ludwig...?" Feliciano's heartbeat quickened and he took a moment to pinch his upper arm; this was no longing daydream, as he felt the sharp pain from it. "Ve! Ludwig! You actually called! Oh my God, I just love hearing your voice again..."

"It's nice to hear you too. Listen...I need you to-"

"I need you too!" Feliciano practically sobbed, now getting so lost into the moment that he was becoming a little dramatic. He couldn't help it. "Fratello insists that I'm better off without you, but that isn't true at all. It isn't. I'm locked in my own bedroom and I can't get my mind off you!"

"R-really?"

"Yes."

"...Is your bedroom window locked?"

"Well," Feliciano wiped a stray tear from his eyelash and made his way over to the window. Once over there, he proceeded to open the curtains when he noticed Lovino forgot to lock it in some manner. "It doesn't..."

When Feliciano pulled aside the curtains, he trailed off in total surprise after glancing out. The surprise was too great and his eyes snapped open as they began to uncomfortably string.

'_Ludwig...you actually..._' Feliciano shakily pulled the phone away from his ear and slammed it shut, promptly ending the call. '_You actually came out here to talk to me! Ve~ I can't believe it!_'

Thank God that Lovino forgot to lock the window. Otherwise, there would be no other way that Feliciano could get to Ludwig and actually see him once again. It didn't matter if it was the last time, or the first of many. Just as long as he was with him; he couldn't less. And in a fast blur, Feliciano opened the window and leaned out to see Ludwig.

Ludwig, from the ground below, put away his cellphone and looked up at the window, glad to be able to see Feliciano once again. They were quite a distance apart – height difference that is – but neither really cared. Just as long as they could see the other. And both had many, many questions in their heads about the other.

Well, it was time to finally solve everything. Of course, Ludwig very much expected Lovino to do something this drastic to his brother. But leaving him locked up in his own room? That seemed very harsh, too harsh actually. And there was no telling how long he would be locked up like someone in an insane asylum.

Just to be able to see Feliciano again...it gave him this very unusual feeling of happiness. Now, all he had to do was find some way to help him break out while Antonio could keep Lovino at bay...and then maybe seal everything with a kiss. Maybe that last part would happen; but they must first concentrate on straightening everything out. Dammit.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano smiled, for what felt like the very first time in hours. Upon seeing this, there was more of that contagious feeling of happiness that Ludwig was overcome with. "I can't believe you actually defied my fratello and came all the way out here! I have to find out what's going on, but first, I need to break out and come down!"

Ludwig's eyes widened when his boyfriend opened the window even higher and precariously began to climb atop the sill and balance unstably. "Feliciano! What the hell are you doing?" Feliciano didn't answer, and Ludwig was sure that his heart missed a beat in shock when the thrilled Italian actually _jumped from the freaking window_.

Somehow, Ludwig's body just moved and rushed forward in hope to catch Feliciano. He couldn't control himself, and then after what felt like hours...Feliciano landed safely and securely in his arms bridal-style.

Oh God, this was kind of awkward.

Ludwig stared, still just about frozen in shock from his boyfriend's sudden perilous move. His arms where tightly holding Feliciano's slim body appropriately and he almost didn't want to release him. Despite surprised at himself for doing such a thing, Feliciano continued to smile as he met Ludwig's eyes and snuggled into his chest; just loving the closeness and inhaling his scent that he missed for all the time that felt like agonizing years.

Still, this felt so right. Now they were back together once again and the emotions overcoming them were unexplainable – despite how perfect it felt overall.

When the two locked eyes directly, and held that contact for a while, Ludwig and Feliciano knew fully that real sparks must have ignited just then.

**. . .**

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" Lovino thundered once unlocking the door to his brother's room and checking it to make sure he wasn't there.

Lovino had previously been trying to find the right way to be able to confess to Antonio that he has been falling so fucking hard over the years that he's known him. And could just not admit that due to pride and mortification. But the moment had been successfully shot and killed when he got this sudden feeling that something bad was happening elsewhere.

Turns out that his instincts were right. Feliciano was not in his room and the window was open all the way and the curtains spread apart. He couldn't believe that he forgot to lock that damn window before he left. How pathetic!

Before Lovino could react any more to his brother's disappearance, Antonio burst into the room just about out of breath, he knew instantly after finally noticing the open window that he had to stop Lovi from going outside to search for his brother.

"He fucking jumped out the window! That little asshole, he probably left to go to the potato bastard's house again!" Lovino spun around and grabbed Antonio's shirt roughly. "Do you know about this...?"  
>Antonio swallowed. He didn't what the hell to say right now, seeing as though he was being forcefully grabbed by Lovino and so very close to him now. Anything he says could ultimately anger him and cause Ludwig and Feliciano to once again get interrupted. Of course, he was loving the proximity; no doubt about that.<p>

No, no Ludwig and Feliciano _would not _get interrupted again. Antonio faked a totally innocent expression as he laughed quite suspiciously. "Know anything about Feliciano breaking out? Uh...of course not. I wouldn't know anything about something so odd..."

Lovino glared darkly and released Antonio's shirt for two reasons. 1( the close proximity was making him blush. 2( He had to inspect what was going on outside the window; for he was sure that something must have been out there to make his idiot brother decide to do something perilous. He stomped towards the window and immediately blanched once seeing Feliciano in Ludwig's arms out outside the window.

"It's him again!" Lovino spun around again and pointed accusingly at Antonio. "You knew all along that the bastard was coming here and that's why you let yourself in and said all that bullshit about having feelings for me!" Well, it made sense in Lovino's mind. His finger lowered and fell back to his side and for some strange reason, his eyes were starting to sting. "I should have known..."  
>"What are you talking about?" Antonio asked in bewilderment. He knew that Ludwig was going to come here to see Feliciano – how could he not, seeing as though he had dropped by his house and gave him the final push to do so – but the stuff that he had confessed to Lovino was all true.<p>

"All that crap about 'having feelings for me all this time'! I know now why you dropped in so suddenly, it was because you were trying to help him see Feliciano and you needed to distract me somehow. It was all...meaningless..." God, he felt so sick now. Lovino struggled to not let any stupid tears leak in his eyes as he shakily walked over to his brother's bed and sat down.

There was silence for a long time, Antonio stood rooted to the spot he was originally in staring in shock at what Lovino had just said. It didn't make sense at all. And does that mean that he really...believed that all of the stuff he had told him earlier was all for a distraction and it was so-called meaningless?

Truth be told: it was far from meaningless. Every single word that Antonio had said did have meaning put into it; because everything was honest. He really...he really did feel that way. It was such a shame that Lovino insisted on being so dramatic about everything.

Most likely, the poor thing was quietly sobbing. That's what Antonio assumed anyway; judging by the way that Lovino's head was in his hands and his shoulders shook. His face softened with utter sympathy at this scene, he had never seen him like this and it was very horrible.

So, making up his mind, Antonio walked over to the bed and sat beside him, placing one sympathetic hand on his shoulder in a fail attempt at soothing him. "Lovino, what's wrong with you?"

At first, all he got was a strangled sob in response. But finally, Lovino raised his head and then it lowered as he stared down at the floor, his dark brown bangs falling over his forehead and concealing some of his hazy eyes. "I just...I'm on to your scheme. It doesn't matter who, I can't trust anyone..."

"That isn't true." Antonio pointed out, his smile faltered a bit when Lovino heaved a sigh and pressed a hand to his forehead.

"No, it's true. Everyone that I meet always fucks up my life! I can never put any trust and believe anything that they say! The only solution I have is to push them away...but it kills me to do that to a certain someone." Lovino paused to wipe a finger across his eye self-consciously. "It all began with our grandfather who raised the both of us for a while after our parents deserted us, he loved Feliciano so much and didn't seem to give a damn about me. I grew to not believe him when he swore that he would protect us and we would all be okay in the rough times – of course, he's thankfully dead and gone now. Our parents didn't really care about either of us to just desert us when we were only five. Feliciano is basically the only family that I have left, but he still is so much better than me – especially when it comes to people. I can't even believe him either when he has the fucking nerve to say that he's worried about me or still cares about me."

Antonio's gaze lowered sadly as Lovino wiped his eye again and went on with the explanation for his mood swings.

"For some reason, I don't want Feliciano to have to have a hard life. But yet, I want him to have to go through some emotional pain for a change and maybe think twice before he says bullshit along the lines of 'I feel bad for you in this situation'! Even though I act so harsh towards him, he still seems to like me a bit – though that's probably all just one facade –, but he's been ignoring me more and more ever since he met that potato-loving bastard..."

Antonio took in all this new information carefully, he almost couldn't believe that Lovino was feeling this bad. He hadn't ever expected that because of how tsundere he constantly acted.

"And I can't put any trust in you either. You only came here to help that bastard get Feliciano back. And you most likely were just leading me on with all that crap about liking me! Trying to mess with my emotions that everyone seems to be forgetting I even possess!"

Keeping control of his emotions was becoming so hard now; for both Antonio and Lovino respectfully. Antonio had to keep his fists clasped together and stop himself from making an angry outburst and tell him that he was so wrong with these 'conclusions'. Lovino had so many emotions overcoming him...yet he was too stubborn to let them out all at once.

"...But I want to be able to trust you." Lovino finally sputtered once he could no longer battle the tears and keep them at bay. He was crying...and he didn't know why it had to be right now, when he was supposed to be outraged at the fact Feliciano defied him and was with that potato bastard once again. As Antonio watched in pure shock, he pressed his palms to his tearing eyes and choked. "Don't...don't look at me right now, dammit! It isn't helping anything! Oh God...just..."

"Lovino." Antonio's heart sank, he couldn't believe what he had just been told and was actually seeing. Lovino really was messed up – emotionally at least. He slowly came closer and grabbed his flushed and tear-stained face and cupped it. "Lovi, please look at me."

He didn't want to. God knows that he was already humiliated enough and didn't need any more pain in his life. But Lovino obeyed nevertheless and removed his hands from his tearing eyes, turning fully and meeting the Spaniard's eyes that were filled with emotion.

And it just about killed Antonio to see him. For once, Lovino looked so weak and emotional. His eyes were streaming with tears and were turning a faint red, his cheeks were looking no different, and the pain was all too clear. He remained silent for a moment, before leaning in closer and closer.

"You aren't alone. Not as long as I'm here." Lovino, far too incapable of speech, tried to sever the eye contact, but Antonio prevented him from doing so with the hold on his warm and soaked cheeks. "Believe it or not: I did come here to help Ludwig. But all of the stuff that I said earlier was honest...I've liked you for such a long amount of time and was working myself to death to get you to realize. I even stayed up all not wondering if you knew and if you felt the same. I had been planning on coming here sooner...had I known that you felt this way, I would have..." His tone wavered just a bit, but Antonio carried on anyway. Stronger once he found the words inside his head. "Come sooner."

"Antonio..."

Antonio, despite the seriousness of the situation, had the nerve to smile brilliantly. "Though it may be challenging, you need to put some trust into me. Because I won't hurt you at all, you have nothing to worry about. I just need you to realize how much you mean to me."

That did it.

The tears welling in Lovino's eyes began to overflow once again as he took in those words.

On the contrary, they were not from _sadness_.

Antonio brushed a finger across one of the falling tears, instantly wiping it away. "Hey, there is no need to cry anymore."

"I...I..." Lovino exhaled a breath and tried his damn hardest to keep the traitor tears under control. "I don't hate you."

Antonio's smile returned, in a swift movement, he slipped his arms around Lovino. Much to the latter's surprise, he found himself pressed against his chest and the Spaniard carefully traced along his back. "I sort of pieced it together when you said you wanted to trust me, Lovino. While we're being truthful: I feel so strongly about you and I'm sick of seeing you suffer."

Lovino's eyes widened. Even in the darkness of the room, his cheeks just about glowed red. Thankfully, Antonio could not see him crack a hint of a smile and press his head closer against his chest.

The moment felt so right, they just about forgot about Ludwig and Feliciano altogether.

**. . .**

"Oh Ludwig~ I'm so glad that you came all the way out here! I missed you so much and was so depressed!" Ludwig couldn't fight back a blush when Feliciano reached his arms up around the back of his warming neck and nestled into his shoulder affectionately. "Ve~ Lovino was so pissed off that we had been out together and he went as far as to lock me in my own room for a while...I almost believed we would never be close again!"

Okay, okay, he wouldn't doubt it if his face was practically glowing red in the darkness. Even if he was loving the affection Feliciano was throwing at him, Ludwig needed to speak with him about the situation. He gently pulled him back and they made eye contact afterward.

"I..." Ludwig sighed. "I missed you too, to be honest. Listen, even if you missed me, you could have killed yourself by jumping out a window at that height."

"Ve~ Sorry about the sudden suicidal move," Feliciano couldn't fight back a small chuckle raising in his throat. "I was just so surprised to see you...I couldn't stop my body from responding to my joy. What matters is that we're together again, I don't care about anything else."

The both of them sighed, relieved to finally be together again. It was a great feeling overall, especially for Ludwig. Having the Italian in his arms and getting to see his face up close and just intimately hold him...

Wait. He was still holding him bridal style.

Awkwardly, Ludwig glanced downward, noticing the position fully. Taking it all in, he coughed. "Uh, I should probably let go of you now."

"Hmm?" Feliciano finally realized the position as well, and chuckled once more. Which was music to Ludwig's ears; he didn't know how long it had been since he heard it. And it sounded oddly beautiful. "Oh, yes! This may be awkward?"

Now very flustered at realization of the situation, Ludwig helped Feliciano back upright on his feet and tried so hard to ignore the silence between them. He didn't like the silence, it was a bad sign that he wasn't taking the moment in the right direction – which he wouldn't doubt one bit, seeing as though he missed intimately holding onto the Italian's slim frame so much more than he probably should have been.

"Well," Feliciano clasped his hands together and went on with a lengthy explanation of how he had coped. He needed Ludwig to know how badly he took the situation, he wanted him to know just how much he cares about him. "It's a little embarrassing to say this...but I just about feared we would _never_ get to see each other ever again. Now that Lovino has made it this far, he most likely won't allow you to ever be around me again...I can't do anything about that. Ludwig, I want you to know just how much I feel about you before the worst becomes reality."

Why did those words make Ludiwg feel some sort of pang in his chest? It was a horrible, transitory feeling that he could barely elaborate on farther. He took a step forward and placed a hand on Feliciano's shoulder as he looked up at him. "Tell me what Lovino said exactly."

"He basically said that..." Feliciano hesitated and glanced off to the side nervously, Ludwig's gaze on him was heavy and very curious. He didn't expect that one. "He refuses to accept I feel so strongly about me...he thinks that I'm making _another _mistake with falling for someone impossibly out of my reach...um...and he wanted me to come to the conclusion that I'm better off without you."

Ludwig said nothing, he refused to press farther. Those words were more than he needed to hear. When Feliciano found the courage to make his gaze fixated on him; he was almost surprised to see the emotion through his icy blue eyes. His heart sank.

"And you're going to obey his commands?"

"Ve~ I-I don't have a choice..." Feliciano quickly responded, turning around his eyes screwed shut even tighter, he hated himself for being so cowardly and looking away from the person whom was actually pointing out in his tone of voice how unnecessary it was for him to be so submissive. "Lovino loves to be controlling and I can't do anything about that. I can't find it in me to stand up and tell him off...I'm just _pathetic_, okay?"

Ludwig moved closer, approaching Italian and grabbing his shaking shoulders immediately. "We're all pathetic when it comes to something. For me, it's whenever I try and deal with my feelings for you, Feliciano."

"I can't deal with my feelings for you either." Feliciano smiled a sad smile and turned around fully to meet Ludwig's gaze once again. He knew that he couldn't remain upset once looking into those hypnotizing eyes he absolutely loved to gaze into directly. "That's why...I don't want to leave our relationship behind me before I tell you to your face that I...I...I really like you. More than what you could imagine." He tilted his head to the side cutely when he caught sight of Ludwig appear to be surprised and become unsure of what to say. He looked so embarrassed, it was sweet. And he giggled. "Ve~ You're looking awfully red, Ludwig!"

Crap, he was unusually observant, wasn't he? Ludwig fumbled for the correct words in his head. Without some sort of plan, he felt very paranoid and embarrassed when the words didn't make sense at all. He glanced downward, hoping that maybe he wouldn't have to face the embarrassment if he didn't look right at him directly. "Are you...saying that you-"

"Ve~ I think I may love you." Feliciano looked downward now, smiling fondly. It had been years since he had said this to someone special. The words left a strange feeling behind once they were uttered. Hey, at least this feeling was one he could definitely live with.

Feliciano...

Feliciano is in love with him?

"If that's true..." Ludwig came closer, to the point of where they were just inches away. Of course, Feliciano had to crane his neck upward to see his serious expression clearly. "You shouldn't let Lovino come in between the relationship. I mean, I don't want you to have a rocky relationship with your brother, but he doesn't have the right to interfere with your life. Feliciano, I'm only trying to tell you that...I love you and I don't want to say goodbye." Did the corners of his lips just twitch and make an attempt to smile? Feliciano had to stare in surprise at that brief sight. "I don't want to be away for too long ever again. Uh, that's...that's what I wanted to tell you tonight."

It surprisingly took Ludwig a while to realize that he had really just admitted to being in love with Feliciano. In fact, even Feliciano didn't take notice due to being so carried away by the sight of the usually-stoic German's attempted smile. And once they both realized, they stared dumbly and could easily feel the surprise from the other person.

"It probably sounds awkward coming from me though..." Ludwig added as a delayed afterthought. He glanced away, unable to look him in the eyes now after saying such a thing. He felt strangely...accomplished and content.

"No, no, it wasn't awkward at all!" Feliciano insisted as he came closer, reaching for his boyfriend's hands and lightly squeezing them. But knowing Ludwig, he was probably way more embarrassed then he appeared to be. "To be honest...I was planning on telling you that I feel so strongly on our date. Elizabeta told me yesterday when I admitted it to her, she said that I should definitely tell you at the perfect moment. So I waited...but I was too late..."

"It's better late than never." Ludwig reminded him. "And if it weren't for Antonio randomly dropping by my house and giving me an attempted pep talk, I might have just stayed home due to paranoia over how this may turn out. Now that we're out here in the cold night so close together...I have to admit it feels good to finally say this."

Ludwig had to hand it to Antonio, he did do a good job at convincing him to do something so chancing. And if Ludwig hadn't come down here and said something, he would have never been able to reveal at long last how he truly felt. He would have not been able to assure Feliciano that he doesn't have to always let Lovino run right over him and control his life. And above all, he would have not been able to see the perfect opportunity to have that long waited kiss with him.

Now that he thought about it, this would be a good moment to kiss. Isn't that how it usually works out? They were all alone and Ludwig was positive that nothing would cockblock them tonight. Not to mention that now that they are aware of how strongly they feel for each other; some kind of proof to seal the deal (so to speak) is in order.

But he was increasingly nervous as the seconds went on. Ludwig had never done this before, what was so wonderful about touching lips with someone? What kind of feeling does that give you for the first time? And why was he so bent on finally doing this gesture – even more so with Gilbert, Elizabeta, and various others pressuring him to get his act together?

Well, he hoped that the answers to those questions would be revealed. Perhaps once all is said and done. Taking a deep breath and quietly and inconspicuously exhaling it, Ludwig closed the distance between them and much to Feliciano's curiosity, he released their hands and he scratched the back of his warming neck.  
>"Feliciano...do you think we should kiss now?"<p>

"Ve? Kiss?" Feliciano hadn't seen that question coming. Not at all. He thought for a moment, even if there was no mistake he really wanted to kiss him at least one time before Lovino rushes in and breaks them apart for good. "I've been waiting a long time for this moment."

"Huh?"

Feliciano twiddled his thumbs a bit, but otherwise looked like he was really anticipating something. Perhaps the aforementioned kiss. "You see, a few days ago when the both of us were at Elizabeta's house and you went into the kitchen and talked with her privately...I got curious and decided to listen in. That's when I overheard you talking about how you were waiting for a good moment to kiss me and how you really wanted to." Ludwig's eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened. Feliciano had really overhead the talk? "And I was surprised, and a little bit embarrassed, Ve~ I returned back to the living room so that I wouldn't be found out. And once you left, she told me about why you've been acting strange and even more awkward and shy than usual."

When Feliciano caught the sight of Ludwig's gaze avert away, the ditzy Italian laughed nervously and added, "But there isn't anything wrong with that! I've been trying to let you know that I've been wanting to kiss you...all this time. But we never had the chance to go all the way. So now, maybe we should kiss."

They closed the distance more, but it was done so awkwardly and nervously on both of their parts. Feliciano smiled reassuringly as he was so ready to do this. He comfortably slid into Ludwig's embrace and he tipped his head upwards. Ludwig tuned out to the fears in his mind and lowered his head, their eyes fluttered to a close when they were in intimate proximity.

And then their noses accidentally crashed together painfully. They gasped in the collision and separated instantly.

Well, that was embarrassing...

And yet, Feliciano still was able to smile as he rubbed over his sore nose. "Ve~ That didn't work out so well."

"Sorry." It wasn't really the pain in his nose that was preventing Ludwig from meeting Feliciano's eyes, it was mostly all because of the embarrassment. He was so nervous about how this would go that he couldn't even aim right at the targeted area.

Yet again, they closed the distance between them. Ludwig slipped his arms around Feliciano's frame and pulled him in closer, lowering his head again. Feliciano tried his hardest to tilt his head up as he raised his arms up around his neck and held them secrely.

But before they leaned in close enough to touch lips, Feliciano suddenly froze and his eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Ve~ Wait, what is Antonio doing right now? Was he the visitor that Lovino went to talk to?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes with a straight face. Even he could just tell that suddenly bringing Antonio and Lovino into the conversation ruined the moment. Before Feliciano innocently uttered anything else, he reached a hand to his cheek and cupped it before he just about lost control of his own actions and leaned in.

Neither really knew what happened.

It was a real blur.

How long had they been remaining in that position with their eyes closed contently and just sharing a simple, clean kiss?

What in reality was several seconds, close to a minute, felt like very long hours. Even if the kiss was simple and innocent, it sure was enough to send shivers down their spines and make their hearts skip a few beats respectfully.

It was all just one little kiss. And the feeling sure was worth the long wait that they had. Every little second counted and made their lips almost tingle.

Much too soon for his liking, Ludwig became aware of how the kiss was becoming prolonged. He blushed intensely as his eyes opened and he noticed their very close contact. It should have ended sooner and probably shouldn't have given such a jolt as it did, at least he knew he finally did it.

He surpassed the urge to sigh inwardly, oh how he wanted this to go on forever.

Feliciano, suddenly, realized that Ludwig was no longer returning the kiss and was almost worried. His eyes opened up and he stared in confusion, before blushing madly and breaking the kiss, smiling nervously as he realized how much he had been prolonging the moment.

Even if the kiss was very simple, it was sweet enough. Ludwig and Feliciano still held the close proximity to the point of their foreheads resting against the other as the looked into the others' eyes. For a first kiss, there was absolutely no need to rush anything.

Just the fact that they actually overcame the "milestone" as Gilbert and Elizabeta dubbed it. The fact that they were now reunited and felt so comfortable in the others' presence. It actually felt rather beautiful...

"I saw that, you bastard! Get the hell away from Feliciano RIGHT NOW!"

Ludwig and Feliciano immediately flinched at the thunderous voice that sounded much too familiar to the both of them. Not him again, not him _again_, they both noted before swiveling around fully to get a good glimpse of a certain tsundere Italian standing around the side of the house and scowling evilly as he made his way over towards the couple.

Lovino just had to interrupt at the worst times possible. It was as if the guy had some sort of sense whenever Feliciano was with Ludwig!

"F-fratello..." Feliciano began to shake in fear of the very evil and piercing look in his brother's eyes, he instinctively slipped behind Ludwig and clung to him for life. "I was just trying to-"

"I saw everything! I saw you kiss the bastard and you let him put his filthy hands on you!" Lovino was advancing and truth be told, Feliciano was scared to death at the look in his eyes.

Luckily, and emphasis on _luckily_, Antonio suddenly came running from around the corner just about out of breath. Everyone turned to look at him as he breathed deeply and panted. "Lovino...you need to stop running off like that..." He paused and wiped the sweat from his brow, before turning to fully notice Feliciano clinging to Ludwig and he had the nerve to smile. "Oh, hey Ludwig! Did I miss anything good?"

"The only thing that you missed was the bastard putting his disgusting hands on Feliciano." Lovino scowled once again and pushed Antonio aside. "Now leave, before I take out my rage on you!"

"Actually, that doesn't sound bad if you consider the double meaning..." Antonio thoughtfully muttered, not realizing that everyone else was staring questionably at him with raised brows. He was just too lost in the thoughts of what he and Lovi could have done after that hallmark moment and before he got a horrible sense and bolted out the door to where Ludwig and Feliciano were.

This was – certainly – going to be a very long night indeed...

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

**Ludwig and Feliciano finally shared that one kiss they wanted, Gilbert obviously won't stop at nothing until he gets Elizabeta into bed, Antonio still can't stop fantasizing, and Lovino has trust and emotional issues. All I have to say is...damn. O.O**

**No doubt about it, this was the longest chapter of the entire story. It took forever to write, and I worked my damn fingers to the bone in the process. But I guess that wasn't a horrible chapter and it did clear some things up. Of course, now Ludwig and Feliciano just have to convince a very conflicted Lovino that he should stop interfering with his brother's life. It isn't over – YET anyway.**

**Stay tuned for the epilogue: which will wrap up everything by revealing how exactly this mess gets straightened out and the benefits and results of what occurred throughout. There is no guarantee when it will be up, but I do hope it will be soon. I have much planned and...so little time.**

**I apologize for any spelling errors, horrible characterization, or if anything was rushed. I'm especially worried that the format sucked and the switches to various characters' situations was awful. Yes, I'm very negative about my own work. *Raises a gun to her head, but it's okay; she forgot to load any bullets in* Your thoughts about the chapter overall...?**

**Read and review~!**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**


	10. The Epilogue

**Well, this story has run it's course now and it has come to the end. Another fanfiction complete and behind me. Now there's a chance for me to get to writing some more stories that I have in my mind and plot ideas up my sleeve. So don't think that MidnightSakuraBlossom's general writing ends here! **

***Wipes a stray tear on the tip of my eyelash* W-why are you staring so strangely at me? I'm not crying over the fact this story has finally came to end, of course not! STOP YOUR GODDAMN LAUGHING! D:**

***Huffs and hides my tearing eyes in an emo manner with my bangs concealing them* I hope that you enjoy the epilogue. I would like to receive some sort of commentary, as well. And we shall meet again in the ending A/N.**

**Final Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me. *Glances over to see her Hetalia manga, cosplay, DVDs, fan art, and other stuff* Let's just say that I'm a mere fan and keep it at that, 'kay?**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss -**_

_**The Epilogue**_

_**. . .**_

Ludwig yawned and adjusted himself to a sitting position. When his eyes finally blinked and the blur cleared, he noticed that his bedroom was still cast in darkness; it must have been very late at night. But he, he just couldn't sleep well after all of the excitement and peril that he had experienced that night. Even if he didn't show it outwardly, it had given him quite the rush.

Of course, it was nice to be lying underneath the warm covers of his bed after such a long night. Especially considering the fact that he once again had a bedfellow.

His cheeks reddened once he glanced to the right at Feliciano still sound asleep and smiling peacefully as he cuddled his arm. This was still was somewhat awkward considering that the Italian insisted upon getting under the covers stark naked like he had done the first time, but if he was going to continue having this sort of relationship with him, these kind of nights were to be expected.

Still...Feliciano was far_ too_ cute for his own good. If only the ditz had the slightest idea how much he drove him crazy. The slightest touch, the most fleeting gaze, even the simplest first kiss. All of the stated and many other gestures just caused Ludwig to be increasingly nervous and surprised. The weird way that his heart sped and his body temperature soared was still confusing, but that was a small price to pay for the feelings that he was overcome with when they were all alone together.

And in this moment, Ludwig almost wanted to extend a hand and caress his boyfriend's sleeping face. The sight was just too adorable to leave alone and merely burn into his mind. But once his fingers were mere inches away from his cheek, they halted and retreated back. He didn't want to risk waking him up after all of the chaos tonight.

Seeing as though he couldn't drift off to sleep, Ludwig was prepared to quietly slip out of the bed and maybe go take a shower to try and relax himself. But before he left the warm covers and Feliciano's tight hold, his body just moved on it's own and he found himself leaning forward and giving the worn out Italian a quick peck on the lips.

Well, it was intended to be quick. Just a quick kiss so that he wouldn't feel fully stupid in hindsight after the first kiss had gotten very delayed, all of the attempts leading up to several _almost-kisses_, and then finally only being able to kiss him after their noses accidentally smacked together. Ludwig was confused after meeting his lips, he could feel two arms slowly encircle his neck and pull him in more while the kiss was surprisingly being returned for a more prolonged moment.

Of course, not expecting that at all, Ludwig broke the kiss and stared in surprise at the now-awake Feliciano smiling from ear to ear and softly chuckling.

"F-Feliciano!" Flustered, Ludwig inched back out of the embrace to his original spot in the bed and his eyes screwed shut. "How long have you been awake?"

"Ve~ Long enough to find us suddenly kissing." That response was innocent...so damn innocent...the blush stained across Ludwig's cheeks intensified and spread to his neck, thank God for the darkness they were in right now. "I was kind of enjoying it actually. Considering all that's happened tonight, we should be lucky we're finally together again."

"Tonight was pretty eventful. Now that it's all over, I'm glad we're together and don't have any problems holding anything back."

Feliciano nodded in agreement and inched closer and nestled his head against Ludwig's chest affectionately. "Ve~ I never want to leave."

'_You took the words right out of my mouth, Feliciano._' Ludwig almost smiled as he carefully stroked the edge of Feliciano's cheek and purposely avoided the bizarre curl that he didn't want him to touch. Of course, found a way to hold that back for now and released a sigh inwardly. '_Oh mein Gott, even the thought of saying it feels awkward. So much for me ever being able to communicate my feelings through _words_..._'

Well, it didn't matter if he couldn't say all of the things that he wanted to. Just as long as Feliciano got the point through actions, Ludwig couldn't care less about speech. Take into consideration that he was just barely able to calmly and with much composure admit to his innocent face that he was in love with him.

Relationships don't need to be rushed. That's what Ludwig now understood as he lied there, hand caressing his boyfriend's smooth pinking cheek finally feeling like the world was in balance and fate was on his side. Considering how the way they were like opposites personality wise and had different approaches when it came to romance.

It was just amazing how they were even able to get together like this. How they managed to overcome that "milestone" in the relationship and succeed in getting Lovino to maybe back off for now. And for some reason, Ludwig found himself reflecting back as he lied his head back against the pillows and wrapping an arm around Feliciano's bare shoulder as he crept closer and snuggled into the embrace.

_**. . .**_

_The moment became increasingly awkward once Antonio just had to go on ahead and outwardly consider the double meaning that may have been hidden between Lovi's words. A sexual one that is. And once realizing where exactly he was going with that assumption, Lovino turned to the Spaniard and gave him a harsh glare before immediately turning quite the interesting shade of a bright red and evading any eye contact with anyone._

"_Humph," Lovino crossed his arms and turned to a different angle, his gaze finally resting on a shivering Feliciano. "If we can all get back to the fucking topic..."_

"_Wait a minute, there is nothing left to say." Antonio interjected, taking a step forward once he looked over at Ludwig trying to comfort a shivering and terrified mess that was Feliciano._

"_Excuse me...?" Lovino growled, turning to Antonio and giving him a typical evil look through the bangs beginning to fall to his eyes. "Look, we had our moments earlier...but I will fucking punch you in your stupid face if you try and interfere with OUR problems."_

_Ludwig glanced back and forth at the tension unfolding and turning into chaos before his eyes. But if you were to ask for an honest interpretation of this, it seemed like a hell of a lot of turbulent sexual tension. He sighed and interrupted, "Antonio should at least be able to explain the situation more easier than me or Feliciano could."_

"_V-ve~ it's obvious that you would listen to him more anyway..." Announced Feliciano, whom found the strength to smile nervously despite how the sudden appearance of Lovino was scaring the crap out of him._

_Just what the fuck were they thinking? Using that sort of wording. Well, Lovino didn't know entirely, but the suggestions that those two were making really were causing the heat to burn in his cheeks and ears – which was not all from his absolute rage._

"_Lovino," Antonio came closer, and despite Lovino's attempted struggles, he managed to hold his shoulders and get him to look at him face to face. The moment might have been on the romantic side everything wasn't so tense and time was passing by so dreadfully slowly. "Take a long look at Ludiwg and Feli. Take a very long and deep look at the two of them." Antonio and Lovino both craned their necks and studied the scene before them: Feliciano smiling brightly and contently as Ludwig was implied to be holding onto his hand and giving a slight reassuring smile. "Now tell me...do you really think they don't deserve each other?"_

_For a long time, Lovino surveyed the couple. It honestly made him sick to his stomach at seeing that goddamn annoying bastard try and reassure his Fratello that everything would be okay. But he couldn't find it in him to ignore Antonio's instructions after what had happened between them._

_Sensing the shift of mood in the atmosphere, Ludwig once again met the hazy and keen eyes of Lovino but still held onto his boyfriend's shaky hand – hoping to reassure him that he was there on his side and he had no reason to be intimidated. "Your answer won't change anything, Lovino. I don't want to have to piss you off, but I just can't stay back and let you run over Feliciano and be in control."_

"_You know what?" Lovino suddenly snapped, the intensity of his tone now really reflecting how pissed off he was becoming the longer that this moment dragged on. "I think you should just shut the hell up and don't bother standing up for him! You sound so in control and unwavering, as if you know what you're talking about like the back of your hand! In reality, you don't have a fucking clue as to why I want him to say away from your kind!"_

"_My KIND? Lovino, I don't even know what you're trying to imply here at this point."_

"_All I'm trying to say is that he could do so much better! That's specifically what I was doing tonight by locking him in his room and giving him some time to get it through his fucking thick skull!"_

_Feliciano looked back and forth between Lovino and Ludwig, unsure if he should interject or not. The both of them were now standing inches apart and both were determined to get the point across. Honestly, he hated that they all had to be out here doing this. He never wanted Lovino to have any objections over the person he fell for, and he still hadn't the slightest hint of why Lovino detested him so much._

_Now it was more of stare-off between the two. And that was when Feliciano had enough and decided to speak up. He removed his hand and walked in between the two. "Ve, I have something to say." When he noticed that all of the attention had shifted towards him, Feliciano sighed sadly and continued. "Fratello...do you have any idea how I felt about the way you locked me in there and said all of those horrible things about Ludwig?"_

_Lovino, for once, didn't have some sort of vulgar or regular comeback and yet he remained scowling at his brother whom went onward with the comments. "I...I was feeling so miserable and I missed Ludwig so much. I didn't want you to know, but I cried – I also cried on the way home." If Feliciano's eyes were open rather that characteristically closed, they would have probably appeared very misty. His gaze lowered. "Lovino, why can't you just accept that I really li-love him? Why is it so...ve...so difficult?"_

_And though Feliciano was probably one step away from bursting into tears, Lovino still kept a straight face and refused to break down as well. Antonio could only watch from a distance, hoping that things would straighten out accordingly. Meanwhile, Ludwig could feel a strange pang in his chest at seeing the always smiling and bouncy Italian so close to tears._

"_When you told me that you loved Antonio earlier, I didn't object to it at all. So why...why can't you just accept my decisions and feelings?"_

_All of Feliciano's words were becoming shaky and saddened as he went on and finally stopped himself as he could feel the tears prick uncomfortably in the corners of his eyes. But that last part before he stopped altogether – the part about what he admitted about Antonio – properly made Lovino's scowl shatter and stifle a choking fit on his own spit._

_Hopefully Antonio wasn't listening...hopefully he wasn't...but when Lovino uneasily turned to Antonio, he wasn't surprised to see him staring with eyes widening slightly as if he hadn't expected that to be said._

_An awkward silence filled the atmosphere. Well, it would have been really silent if it wasn't for Feliciano's strangled sobs he was trying so hard to mask._

_In fact, Feliciano would have probably broken down more. But he slowly peeled his fingers away from his eyes when he felt a strong arm slip around his shoulder and glance towards the opposite angle at Ludwig suddenly standing there._

"_Ve? Ludwig?" Feliciano's cheeks immediately flushed and he glanced away, feeling self-conscious at an alarming rate. Why did he have to cry easily in these kind of moments?_

"_Don't worry, Feliciano. Give Lovino some time, he will have to break down once Antonio gives him an earful." Ludwig's tone lowered to just above a whisper, as he didn't need Lovino to overhear and go all tsundere on him for uttering such a thing. "And even if he doesn't," Feliciano wiped a stray, traitor of a tear from his eyelash and looked back up at Ludwig's eyes. "What a person doesn't know won't hurt them..."_

_There was that beautiful smile once again. Ludwig was not quite sure, but he could sworn that his heart had just fluttered at the sight of seeing this smile full of characteristic innocence after all of this very unnecessary drama._

_But soon enough, Ludwig and Feliciano successfully escaped the moment and shifted their attention back to Antonio and Lovino. It almost seemed like the two of them were forgotten now. But that was okay, because just maybe they could slip away into the night un-noticed. Besides, those two needed to finally get together after all of these years of obviously pining for each other._

_Hey, if they received a happy ending, then Antonio and Lovino may as well have one as well. Seems like fate was actually being an angel tonight, rather than a cruel bitch._

_And it was true. For the time being, Lovino just about forgot that he had discovered his brother in the arms of the worst person possible and caught them sharing a kiss in the moonlight after he had just happened to turn his head towards the window with his instincts kicking in._

_For some reason, Lovino found it impossible to look at Antonio's face. He kept his gaze locked on the ground rather. And the heat burning in his cheeks returned ten fold._

_Antonio himself hadn't expected this. He could guess that Lovino kept a harbored crush towards him – earlier when he had confessed to "not hating" him was all the evidence that he needed. But love...? Who could have guessed that? For once, he hadn't the slightest idea what to do or say and was quite flattered if not just a tad embarrassed by the fact everyone probably assumed he was such a dumbass for not realizing sooner._

"_Lovino...is is true?"_

"_Is WHAT true?"_

_Antonio rolled his eyes. Why did Lovino insist on being so stubborn with this topic? "Please just be honest with me, Lovi. I'll find out sooner or later how strongly you feel." He smiled and folded his arms across his chest before turning at an angle and aimlessly watching the night sky. "After all that we've been through tonight, we should just forget about keeping anything secret."_

"_You really fucking believe I'll admit how I feel about you right here? In front of my stupid crybaby of a fratello and his annoying bastard of a boyfriend?" Lovino spat, tone wavering just a bit in embarrassment._

"_Think back to earlier in Feliciano's room. When you broke down and after I embraced you, you specifically said and I quote – 'I...I don't hate you'." Antonio pointed out, causing Lovino to be frozen with mortification at this being brought up on front of outsiders, Ludwig to stare in surprise at the mere thought of the tsundere Italian actually breaking down, and Feliciano to look on with his head tilted and a curious expression visible across his features. "Well, don't you think that I should know just how much you 'don't hate' me?"_

"_You bastard! You aren't supposed to say things like that outside those walls!" Lovino's eyes immediately screwed shut, face burning brightly in the usual and complex mix of fury and mortification._

_Ludwig interjected with a sigh. "We already can see how you feel. It would be fitting to just admit it to him so that we can get back to the topic of whether or not it's okay in your mind for us to see each other."_

_As much as Lovino didn't want to admit it, God knows he didn't want to, he hesitantly confessed; "For once in your life, you have a damn point." He shifted his weight on each foot and turned to Antonio's eager expression. "Listen closely: we will talk about this shit later. For now, I need to put my foot down and rip apart the rest of their ties!"_

"_You can't!" Antonio insisted very quickly, not liking the direction that this was taking. He wanted to hear Lovino admit in his own words that he cared about him, and he also wanted Ludwig and Feliciano to have a happy ending that they earned. "Lovi, it's clear to me that all you did by locking Feli in his room was make him long for Ludwig even more. What would be the point of separating them now after they have fallen so hopelessly for the other? How could you accomplish anything?"_

_Lovino didn't have a reply. He turned around, away from the three pairs of eyes staring holes through him just waiting for their answer. He knew why he was doing all of this; even if he couldn't stand his brother, he was the only family that he had left and the only person to still care about him despite the way he treated him like shit. And lately he had been deserted for Ludwig...he didn't want to be alone._

_But then Antonio mentioned earlier that he wouldn't be alone – not as long as he had him at his side. If he truly felt that way, if he truly wanted him, then why did Lovino still hear that it was all a lie and he would once again be left behind and the one treated like shit?_

_Damn it, he could feel his eyes stinging again. But he couldn't cry...he refused to cry again...that last time should not have been witnessed by Antonio of all people._

"_I don't know what goes through your head, Lovino." Ludwig suddenly spoke up, taking a step forward once he released Feliciano's hand. He found Lovino to be the most confusing guy he had ever met, but it's not like he hated him or anything. He couldn't get pissed at his actions for some reason. "Honestly, I doubt I ever will understand you. Nevertheless, I need you to tell me what made you think that keeping us apart would solve."_

_Antonio suddenly raised an arm in front of Ludwig, effectively preventing him from making another step. His expression was actually rather serious: full of sympathy and yet mild annoyance. "Ludwig, he won't open up to you, he most likely can't even do it to his own brother. But he did to me, and so I will explain everything."_

_Whoa, whoa, was Antonio going to betray his wishes and completely humiliate him by revealing his thoughts that he had freaking confided to him? This immediately won Lovino's attention and his fists clenched violently to the point of veins popping up on the skin. He sharply turned with a hostile look in his misty eyes. "Don't you dare fucking tell them that!"_

"_They need to know the truth." Antonio said with much composure, complete opposite of Lovino whom was scowling and just about twitching all over. He could not stop feeling sorry that he had to anger him like this, but Ludwig and Feliciano – especially Feliciano – needed to hear this. "I know it may embarrass you, Lovino. But...you'll have to let your emotions and thoughts all come out eventually."_

"_I'd rather die." Lovino grumbled, huffing afterward and looking away. But once Ludwig and Feliciano were looking back at Antonio, he stealthily slipped a finger to his mouth and quietly chewed the tip frantically._

_There was no way that he would be able to even meet the eyes of either Feliciano or that bastard once Antonio revealed all that he confessed to him in private! Hell, he would probably have to lock himself in his room to just get away and scrounge back up what remained of his pride!_

_Fortunately for Ludwig and Feliciano, unfortunately for a severely mortified Lovino, Antonio kept his word and went into an explanation over the latter's reasons for all of the drama that he single-handedly caused despite his frantic pleas and the curses thrown around._

_Without any interruption whatsoever, Antonio went into detail about how Lovino confessed to him previously that he felt alone all the time. How he claimed that everyone he encountered always "fucked up" his life and he could not put trust into anyone – not even Feliciano. But there were some people that he wanted to be able to have some faith in, yet another part of him objected fiercely and screamed for resistance. He was just too conflicted about this topic. Yet, Lovino was surprised in a good way when he bothered to un-plug his ears and discover that the bastard left out the part about him freaking out and warning him to not leave him alone, and didn't add in that he broke down into tears._

_Was he just sidestepping these parts of the story to save him from extreme, painful, sheer mortification? Or did Antonio have different motives?_

_But once again, Lovino's face rapidly turned bright red and he plugged his ears once Antonio went on to mention in such a very straightforward manner that he detested Ludwig so much because he viewed him as some sort of evil that was slowly taking away the only person that still liked him anyway despite how many times he openly said he didn't want him in his life or treated him like shit. In his mind – it was like Ludwig was taking Feliciano away because now he has fallen so hard for him and constantly had his head in the clouds rather than reality, and all the talk about how much he wanted to have a first kiss with him felt so sickening and painful at the same time._

_If he could sever their ties, if he could convince his younger brother that he was making another mistake with his life and this next strong relationship was doomed to fade, then Lovino would be able to have silent satisfaction with the fact he still had the only person whom probably genuinely liked him regardless of how he badly he treated him. Antonio theorized that Lovino was even more bitter and hateful now that he and Ludwig actually came down here and defied him like this._

_In conclusion, Antonio mentioned how he tried to tell Lovino that he was not alone. He was never alone. He wouldn't continue to feel alone if he would accept that he shared the same feelings that he had. And he would feel like a huge weight was lifted if he could just say in his own voice: "I love you, Antonio." Or something like that. Even if their was a "fucking", "damn", or "you stupid bastard" scattered alone as per usual._

_By the time that Antonio had finished the lengthy explanation, Ludwig and Feliciano could do nothing but remain utterly silent and exchange varying expressions. Neither knew what to make of what they had been told – judging by how serious the Spaniard had become as he announced it all, it must have been true._

_Meanwhile, Lovino could have not been any more mortified than he was right now. The worst part about this situation was that he had to be around the area as all of this was being said. Now these personal thoughts were no longer so personal and concealed behind a hostile masquerade so easily. He finally unplugged his ears, refusing to even turn and face the three. He couldn't...it was too challenging._

"_Ve~ Lovino..." Feliciano trialed off, not really confident that what he had tried to say would make the situation less mortifying for his fratello. He realized very quickly, however, that nothing would cushion this impact._

_Having his fill of embarrassment for one night, Lovino said nothing and quickly walked back to the house. His gaze was locked on the ground the entire time and his face was burning so badly it felt as if it would be scarred from the aftermath. And once at the door, he was prompt in slamming it so loudly that Ludwig was honestly surprised it didn't fall right off it's hinges._

_Thus, the three still remained outside around the back of the home. Antonio felt so badly for Lovino, he was fully aware that would hurt his pride beyond repair...but it was necessary if he were to be of some use to Ludwig and Feliciano. And now that he thought about it...perhaps he was help after all. If it weren't for him, for once, taking notice to the drama going on here and knocked on Ludwig's window to tell him that, there was no telling what could have gone down tonight._

_With Lovino gone, however, it was still unclear whether or not it was okay for them to be together. And even if Ludwig didn't care what he had to say about the relationship, Feliciano was openly concerned about the final declaration. He just wished for everything to be set right. Even if it was truly unfair._

"_Ve~ Somebody should talk to Lovino." Feliciano proceeded to make an attempt to walk towards the front of the house, knowing that he should be the one to talk._

_However, he was stopped once Ludwig grabbed his wrist. "Are you sure that we should even bother to speak with him now?"_

"_Do I really have much of a choice, Ludwig?"_

"_...Yes. You do have a choice. You can either continue to live under his regulations until you move out of the house, or you can stand up for yourself and tell Lovino that it's time he stops interfering like this."_

_Feliciano was silent, but surprised by what he had just heard. The surprise faded soon enough, and he was left biting his lip and glancing at the kept lawn beneath his feet. In truth, this was what led to all of this drama. Because he could not gather the courage or strength to walk up to his brother and announce that he was finished with being controlled and have his decisions made for him. Now that he knew how Lovino really felt, he was just so confused and his head was spinning...he didn't know what to do._

"_Lovino has always liked to treat me like I'm not important and I can't make important decisions for myself. Ve...I used to not know the real reason because he never opened up to me – earlier tonight about Antonio being a rare exception – and so it was all a mystery." Feliciano sighed deeply and looked up at Ludwig with an obviously sad smile. He removed their hands almost hesitantly. "If he really does feel like you're in his way and some kind of obstacle trying to destroy his life, it's unlikely he'll agree. Ludwig...I..." The corners of Feliciano's eyes began to tear and he raised an arm and wiped them away. "I don't want this to be the last night we get to be together!"_

_The instant those words left the sobbing Italian's mouth, he rushed forward into Ludwig and proceeded to let his emotions out once again with absolutely no shame. It was amazing how the two brothers were completely opposite when it came to shedding tears, Antonio noticed this whilst watching._

_Ludwig just felt kind of awkward about what to do with a crying person. Of course, he had seen Feliciano cry in the past, but this was far before the relationship upgrade and before he realized how he felt about him. Now it really made his heart sink...to see him be broken down to tears. He just allowed Feliciano to let it all out into his chest as he rubbed his back. The pathetic babbling of "I don't know what to do!" and "Ve! Why does something horrible happen every time I fall in love with someone?" could be vaguely heard from the Italian._

_Several seconds and Antonio had his fill of seeing this. He knew that he had to be the one to do something here, before all of their relationships got damaged tonight. And of course, the only way to solve things would be to confront Lovino once again...but it would have to be done more properly._

_From a past experience, Antonio had learned that Lovino always went straight to his room, locked the door, and chose to either curl up for a long time in solace or go on a rampage of emotions when mortified this badly. Feliciano had even shared a story about one time back a grade when Lovino had this majorly embarrassing moment towards the end of school and once back at home, he went straight to his room but forgot to lock the door. When Feli had quietly pulled it open a little he caught sight of him lying on his bed miserably with his head buried in a pillow – when he was detected, Lovino had grabbed a DVD case and tossed it at him which gave him an ugly bruise for a week._

"_What are we going to do now?" Ludwig inquired, switching his attention over to Antonio as he continued to hold his sobbing boyfriend and rub his back gently._

_Antonio thought for a moment, suddenly flinching a tad once we felt some drop of water splash onto his wrist. He glanced up at the sky and sighed. "Ludwig, you take Feliciano and wait in your car. It looks like it's beginning to rain any minute now and he's recently trying to get over a cold." Despite the seriousness of the situation at hand, Antonio smiled oddly suspiciously. "I will confront Lovino and get the final word."_

_Ludwig nodded in understanding and explained everything to a still-crying Feliciano whom was too choked up to make a humanly response. After taking once last, doubtful look at Antonio making his way to the house, he guided Feliciano back to the shelter of his car to get out of the rain shower that has sneaked upon them all._

_**. . .**_

_Thank God that Lovino didn't lock the door behind him. Antonio didn't have to play out his own advice and go around to his bedroom window and toss rocks or something along those lines as if something out of Romeo and Juliet. He got out from the rain coming down and silently closed it behind him._

_Once looking around, he wasn't surprised to see that the place was not totally neat and tidy and most of the lights were off. The place almost appeared to be empty – of course he knew better._

_It took a few moments of trying to find the correct room in the dark halls on the second floor, Antonio finally stopped at the last. He just had the special sense that this room was Lovi's._

_...Considering the fact that he could hear Lovino murmuring quietly from the outside and he had been in this house so many times to know the place inside and out._

_He didn't want to keep Ludwig and Feliciano, or himself, waiting...but Antonio found himself hesitating to twist the unlocked doorknob. Would it be better to knock or barge in? Both options were appealing – the latter especially because he may get to walk in on Lovino and see him get all cutely surprised._

_And if he waited any longer, this would just bring unnecessary suspense for all of them. Nodding, he twisted the thankfully unlocked knob and walked right into the room._

"_Lovino, I came to talk to you about..." Once opening his eyes and getting a good look at Lovino, Antonio trailed off until his words became so slow and quiet to the point of not being understandable. This really wasn't what he was expecting at all, but he really shouldn't be too surprised..._

_There was Lovino...sitting on the floor by his bed hugging his knees close to his chest. His facial expression was not readable, but his cheeks were bright red and probably radiating heat. Well, this was going to be more challenging that what he expected it to be..._

_The weird thing about the situation was that Antonio didn't get any acknowledgment about his presence, nor any words exchanged. Truth be told, this caught him off guard. Wouldn't Lovino toss a random item and cuss him out? Literally kick him out? Give him a typical almost trademark glare?_

_Something was definitely wrong here. Maybe Lovino really was that affected by his revelations of the things he told him. If he had done the wrong thing and ultimately murdered any slight chances of a relationship upgrade, Antonio was going to detest himself in the morning._

_Maybe he would need to try and smooth the situation, perhaps get that relationship he honestly longed to have, and then get the final answer on what was to happen to Ludwig and Feliciano's relationship – the two of them have come too far to let things slip away in this anti-climatic manner, dammit!_

"_I, ah, thought you may be here." Antonio received no response. He sighed and quietly closed the door behind him. "Lovino, please talk to me. You can't sit here all night and leave everyone – literally EVERYONE – hanging."_

_Tch, as if he would really respond to the bastard after what he did out there. Lovino expected him to follow and try in vain to smooth things over – he seemed to overlook the little flaw in his plan. He was just far too...mortified to be able to face any of them now. Honestly, he would be just fine with sitting in solitude for the rest of the night._

_Lovino just kept his gaze locked on the wall. Refusing to meet the bastard's face now after all that been revealed outside. All of that personal information that he was perfectly fine with keeping hidden behind rough edges – it was best to keep it all in the darkness anyway! He didn't need anyone else' sympathy! His cheeks lit up a bright red and his fingers clawed into the jean material over his knees._

"_I won't leave until I've made one thing clear. So clear and painfully to the point of you believing it." Antonio stated simply, almost smiling in an attempt to make the atmosphere less...rough. He walked over and sat beside the object of his affections, mimicking his sulking position. "Listen to me, I know you're embarrassed about all that I said to them. But they needed to know the truth sooner or later."_

_Lovino buried his head farther into his arms, feeling his cheeks begin to just about scorch now as he recalled the memory._

"_It's not characteristic of you to not have some sort of comeback, Lovi." There was some sort of longing in that tone of voice, Lovino almost slipped up and shifted his attention towards him; but he quickly got over it. "Please speak to me." Antonio turned and crept very, very close to Lovino, to the point of it being disturbing to a degree._

_Stubborn Lovino refused to meet his eyes or even say a word. He knew that Antonio was coming closer, feeling his warm breath against the skin on his neck._

"_I want to hear your voice yelling at me, cussing me out for what I did." Antonio held back a soft chuckle, totally having no idea why this was somewhat amusing to him. Maybe it was because Lovino's tsundere-ness was a turn on?_

_Said amusement began to intensify once he took a finger and softly traced along the sides of the Italian's neck, going along his flushed cheek and around his ear. He could feel the skin become very warm at the contact and it wasn't just from the mortification that he still felt._

_Finally, Antonio just took a chance and leaned in closer, brushing back some of his dark brown hair to plant a kiss on his cheek. But that was when Lovino finally cracked and his head immediately raised, a scowl once again visible on his features as he avoided the contact._

"_What the hell are you trying to do?" Lovino spat, glaring evilly and just about leaping off the floor to his bed. "Do you really think I'll let you flirt like that NOW after the way you embarrassed me like that, you fucking annoying asshole?"_

_Ah, it was so satisfying to finally hear that. At least he finally got Lovino where he wanted him – and that was back to his default personality and majorly pissed off at everything that he did. Antonio sighed oddly happily and sat up on the floor gazing up into those fierce hazel eyes burning holes through him._

"_Now that's what I like to hear. Seeing as though you're talking again, let's settle things right here."_

"_Who says I'm talking to you after what you did?" Lovino countered angrily, huffing and turning away._

"_Whatever I said that embarrassed you, I'm sorry. The reason I did this was so Ludwig wouldn't hold anything against you and Feliciano wouldn't feel like his brother was so confusing for no understandable point." Antonio rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the floor of the bedroom. "I understand if you never forgive me of course – that's kind of suitable considering your personality. But know that I really am sorry."_

_There was a silence in the room that lasted for a while. It was almost intimidating for the both of them in this situation. So lost in the drama that had overcome them for God-knows-how-long, Antonio momentarily forgot his other motive for coming to confront Lovino – Ludwig and Feliciano's relationship._

_Antonio didn't know this, but Lovino's scowl was beginning to falter and his cheeks began to lit up a bright red once again. He was thinking...thinking about what he had just apologized. Nobody hadn't ever done that before after committing one of the horrible acts – in his mind that is – of 'fucking up his life'. In fact, the words sounding so foreign and strange to his ears._

_But he...he couldn't dare slip up and easily forgive him! Not now after he bothered to come to the house, go straight into some sort of confession about how he really felt, witness and comfort him when he finally broke down and cried, and finally go against what he had swore he wouldn't do and tell Ludwig and Feliciano about the stuff he confided! Despite the apologies, Lovino had the sneaky feeling that he honestly did not comprehend WHY saying all of that affected him so badly._

"_Humph...I don't know if I can forgive you." Lovino pressed his hands to his burning cheeks, inwardly cussing himself out for acting like this over the situation. At least Antonio could not see him directly or catch sight of the faint tear streaks down his skin._

"_Why not...?" If Lovino had been facing him, he would have caught sight of Antonio immediately perk up and stare in shock._

"_I can't remember a time I got that embarrassed – it just HAD to be right in front of them as well! You've got no fucking clue how I felt about you rambling all of the stuff I confessed!" Those words...they were spoken in fierce tone, but was that a little bit of sorrow that Antonio detected? Lovino arose from the bed and began to pace the floor of the room. "All of the stuff that I told you...it was my intention to never let anyone know that's how I really felt, I didn't want a soul to ever see me break down and cry, but I...I allowed you to see it and tried not to hold back and resist as I normally would had the person be Feliciano or someone else..."_

_Antonio wordlessly arose from the floor and just watched Lovino pace around furiously. He closely listened to these words, feeling more and more guilty by the second._

"_Do you...do you know why I lowered my guard and admitted everything? Do you have even the slightest idea as to why I still let you into my life and act so flustered yet furious when you randomly try and flirt with me as you've done all these years?" Lovino turned away and wiped a tear from his eyelash. He would never admit that he was crying from sadness alone, of course he may agree if you were to add in the fact that it was also from fury._

_Antonio sighed deeply. "Lovino, I'm not totally stupid. All this time, I've concluded that there has to be some reason why you're like this."_

"_You're damn right there's a reason!" Lovino snapped, sharply turning around despite the fact the tears were really pricking in the corners and there was no doubt they were close to descending. "Listen, I love you, okay? I didn't want to admit it but you're making so pissed off right now! I can never trust anyone, but I want to trust you and though I never say it, I always have some faith in you! It kills me to push you away and tell myself I'm making a rash decision by pining over you secretly..." Cue tears. Lovino almost felt like gasping once he could feel the tears falling down his cheeks, but he shook his head and tried to be unwavering with the rest of his ranting. "I finally confessed all of that to you because I had so much trust that you would respect my wishes and keep your big damn mouth shut, but it obviously didn't happen! Now...I know better. It's happening all over again..."_

_Holy crap. Was Lovino really confessing all of this right now? Well, he did seem very broken up and yet hostile about the topic judging by his tone of voice that was showing signs of wavering. Antonio stared in surprise, he could feel the tips of his ears burn._

_Once Lovino's ranting came to a sudden halt, and he was over by the window looking out uninterested at the scenery, he was mostly trying to hold back any more tears from falling down. Even after he had been discovered capable of shedding tears earlier, he refused to let them be seen again. Never again._

_That was what he wanted at least...alas, he could not control the tears and as the room sank into a state of very intimidating silence, he pressed his palms to his eyes and cried into them._

"_This makes no sense...Feliciano is supposed to be the one to be the one to fall headfirst into hopeless love without any sense of control. Why...why am I doing it?" Lovino managed to snap, though his words were all barely able to understand as he was trying to fight back the tears while speaking. "Damn it, why can't I forget about you? Why can't I just assure myself you aren't worth pining after?"_

_Lovino was prepared to go on, but when he opened his mouth all he could manage was a sudden brief gasp in surprise when he felt a pair of arms slip around his neck from behind. He stood there, his palms rapidly falling back to either side of him and his expression a rare one of bewilderment._

_Seconds later, he knew fully well that it must have been Antonio whom suddenly sneaked up behind him and dared to embrace him again after all that has happened in such a short amount of dramatic time. His cheeks that were already flushed from the anger and crying, began to darken more as he felt a pair of lips peck his right cheek._

_God knows he was loving the position they were in. The soft peck to his cheek made him weak at the knees and he was prepared to cry again for some reason the bewildered Italian could not comprehend. And yet, another part of him was still against this after all that has happened._

"_L-let go of me, bastard!" Lovino broke out from the embrace and turned around sharply to glare at Antonio. That little sneak attack of his did nothing more than to fuel his embarrassment. Did he really expect that to do anything else? "What more do I have to do to get it through your fucking thick skull? I'm head over heels for you and yet don't want anything to do with you now after that episode...I-I...I don't know what to..."_

_The glare and pissed facade was shattering rapidly. Too rapidly. Antonio hadn't expected to see Lovino looking so honestly confused and genuinely hopeless about the matter. Surveying his red and tearing hazel eyes, his flushed cheeks, and his overall expression...it made his heart sink in so much sympathy for the second time tonight._

"_Lovino...you really do feel the same way about me that I do for you, right?"_

"_As embarrassing as it is to admit..." Lovino held back another sob and averted his eyes to his feet. "Yes, Captain Obvious, we've established that."_

"_Then you won't punch me in the stomach for what I'm about to do, correct?" Antonio suddenly moved in, a rather suspicious glint in his emerald eyes that made Lovino look back up and inch backward to the window mildly uncomfortably._

"_Just what the fuck are you...planning on doing NOW after you saw me cry – twice, embarrassed me to death in front of other people, and haven't done a thing to-"_

_Whatever Lovino was going to say, it probably was irrelevant. Or well, it would just have to be assumed relevant seeing as though he didn't get the opportunity to finish. Because he was instantly shut up once Antonio grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in to which...their lips met in a sudden kiss._

_It was quite a shock..._

_Lovino didn't know why the hell he couldn't escape and do the aforementioned response of smacking him in the gut. Or why he was enjoying this._

_In a certain point of view, this just caused more tears of the opposite emotion of sadness to spill over once he found it in him to return the kiss._

_It was honestly no wonder why Feliciano was so pumped up about kissing Ludwig for the first time...now that Lovino thought about it, this strange sensation of doing such a thing for the first time with the annoying bastard he secretly pined for it...was amazing._

_Much too soon for their liking, the kiss was broken. Antonio smiled dreamily and Lovino just stared with widened eyes and then tried to blink away the tears._

"_In case I haven't said this enough, I really am sorry about that tonight. And I know now...somewhere deep down you want to forgive me and you want to be with me." His cheeks began to warm a little, still totally surprised by all that he had learned in just a few hours about he couldn't complain at all. Antonio smiled nonetheless. "Judging by your expression, your answer is fairly obvious. Why don't you just say what you want to say, Lovi?"_

"_Humph, have you seen yourself?" Lovino countered, cracking at least a smirk as he raised a finger and wiped away the remains of his tears. "You're the one smiling like a retard and turning all red."_

"_Well...I didn't expect things to go exactly this way. But now that it's all said and done," Antonio paused to sigh. Was...was that a content sigh? "I will remember this night for a long time."_

"_Considering how much I embarrassed the hell outta myself tonight..." Lovino grabbed Antonio's hands and proceeded to try and peel them off his shoulders...oddly, they were not going anywhere. "This night will be forever burned into my memory and most likely, I won't be able to show my face in front of Feliciano or that potato bastard for at least a few months...!"_

"_Oh God, look," Antonio thought for a moment and rolled his eyes. "When you're like me and have been embarrassed literally countless times, you learn to get over it shortly. So, what do you say about wrapping this evening up with an apology and a third kiss?"_

_Lovino rolled his eyes and was prepared to try and push the bastard away once again. But then...then his gaze lowered and he noticed how his own hands were reaching up and trying to interlock between the fingers of his hands still on his shoulders._

_He blushed and scoffed, wondering why he just had to unconsciously attempt to interlock hands with the likes of him. What the hell was wrong with his mind?_

_But at least now...they knew the truth. Maybe Lovino didn't want to accept the apology and move on. The way that Antonio apologized was just so...adorably sorry that it really made him feel like the jackass here for not accepting it. And he did sound genuine. Reading the situation deeper beneath the surface, Lovino knew that he had fallen head over heels for the bastard..._

_Honestly, he had no regrets whatsoever (not like he would ADMIT that to anyone's face). He felt so alone and broken because of everyone else he encountered 'fucking up' his life. He needed someone who truly cared about his feelings and would never try to hurt him. Which is why...he kept returning to Antonio and never bothered to push him away in the tough times. As long as he was there. Well, he felt absolutely amazing and on cloud nine like how his brother felt when around Ludwig._

_Wait...'like how his brother felt when around Ludwig'?_

_Whether or not Lovino knew and believed it, Antonio did care about him. He's always noticed that he seemed to have some sort of issues with the world but could not understand the subtext of it. And now he knew better and, frankly, wanted to kick himself for not understanding that it was all out of paranoia and unwanted solitude. But he had to admit, the tsundere Italian really did put up quite the impressive guard and was successful in harboring these thoughts and issues for a long time. His facade was undeniably bewildering and easy to become interested in analyzing._

_Now after all that has happened, why should he bother to hide his feelings? Lovino wondered this for several long seconds; seeing as though Antonio pretty much knew one-hundred percent how he truly felt beneath the vulgarities thrown around and the scowls and glares, not to mention the threats to call the cops. He was silent and nervously held eye contact with Antonio._

"_You know what? I will forgive you this one time..." Antonio stared in shock, hardly expecting that answer. He was prepared to cheer about this and assure Lovino that he would not spill any more 'confidential' secrets again. But that's when the Italian reached out and grasped the front of his shirt, pulling him in to the point of where their noses were just about touching. "Don't you DARE do that to me again though. I'll seriously fuck up your stupid smiling face!"_

"_Well, I'll try not to spill any more secrets although there is no guarantee." Antonio said casually as if this sort of thing happened every day. Lovino sighed deeply and released his handful of his shirt. "If you give me a chance, Lovi, this just may work out between us."_

_That was the last thing Antonio said...before he unexpectedly pulled Lovino into another kiss. This time, actually going as far as to turn the two of them around and dip him. If Lovino hadn't felt enough sparks the first time, there was no doubt in his complex mind that he literally felt some now._

_**. . .**_

_Back in the car, Ludwig and Feliciano still sat there just chilling. Antonio had been in the house, presumably trying to confront Lovino about some main topics of the evening. The former was getting a bit confused by how long this was taking, Feliciano would just smile brightly and assure him that they should have all the time in the world. That Lovino deserved someone as well and besides, they couldn't leave until they found out if he would leave them alone from now on or not._

_This was a chance for Ludwig to reflect on how far they had all come over these past few weeks. There was no doubt tons of awkward, embarrassing, tense, and ridiculous moments but he...he could honestly say that it was unforgettable. He would remember all of this for years to come._

_As sort of embarrassing as this was to confess, the best highlight of the evening was getting to finally have that kiss both (among others) were longing to make a reality. It finally did and well, he could still feel the sparks flying. Did Feliciano feel the same way?_

_It was safe to assume that he did. Feliciano didn't even make a futile effort to hide his dreamy smile he would slip into as time went by. Once he 'just happened' to make eye contact with Ludwig, his cheeks would flash a pink color briefly and he would glance away from his eyes._

_Even if Lovino didn't approve of this relationship, due to some now-clear issues of being alone and conflict over whether he really cared about his brother or not, why should they give a damn? From the first time that Ludwig met Feliciano he honestly didn't think that much of him, but before his head hit the pillow that night he entered a quick flashback of the moment he saw that innocent bright smile and he instantly sat up with widened eyes as his heart began to pump faster. Now after befriending him and getting to know him inside and out (nudge nudge wink wink), he could see that he really did have feelings for him._

_And if Lovino didn't approve, well, that was his problem. He shouldn't stop them from being together like he attempted tonight._

_But, Ludwig sighed and leaned back in the driver's seat. There was no way that he could find it in him to mention this to Feliciano. He wanted to, but was somewhat afraid it may sound real stupid coming from him. In a certain point of view, he may have been correct with that one._

_Hearing the sigh, Feliciano quietly drummed his fingers over his knee unconsciously as if in thought. Seconds later, he had decided what kind of move to make and his lips curved into a smile._

_All of a sudden, he leaned over in the seat over to Ludwig and allowed his head to brush against his arm affectionately. Perhaps too affectionately, because the simple contact was enough to make his boyfriend's heart skip a beat._

_It was just...the moment was so quiet and pleasant for a change. And from the windshield of the car they had the most marvelous view of the night sky showing off the glowing moon and the occasional light twinkle of the surrounding stars. Such a huge contrast from earlier when everyone was in a state of confusion and panic over the separation attempt._

_This moment could go on forever. Neither would care, because it was just the feeling of being close to the other. Being able to see each other after that time of being separated. Though indescribable, it was definitely nice._

_Feliciano's words that he softly uttered once resting his head against Ludwig's arm really summed up the moment rather well, in fact; "Ve~ despite what happened earlier, Ludwig, I am glad we're finally together."_

_Ludwig could sworn that his lips were betraying him and forming a smile. It was pretty dark in the car though, so Feliciano didn't have to know this..._

_**. . .**_

Later, Antonio had left the house with a big smile on his face. Feliciano noticed and commented that something good must have happened otherwise it would have been his fratello to come out. The Spaniard announced with no hesitation whatsoever that he had a long discussion with Lovino about matters – though it was apparent he was being rather vague about some parts in the discussion, so the two could only imagine what happened in that house – and felt so fulfilled.

He went on to explain that Lovino was extremely mortified by the way he had blurted out all of that stuff he wished to keep a secret. But nevertheless, he did forgive him in the end and even agreed that he would take their relationship up a notch and give him a chance. With much joy, Antonio had added in that he was going to make sure Lovino would never regret agreeing to be in a romantic relationship and there would be plenty of good things to come (once again, nudge nude wink wink). Feliciano couldn't have been more happy that this happened because, in all honesty, Lovino deserved to have a happy ending as well if he really had felt so horrible and hopeless all this time as he discovered earlier.

When prompted to respond to Ludwig's question of: "What did Lovino say about our relationship?", Antonio couldn't hold back a grin. And with nothing but excitement, he explained that he did confront his tsundere love interest about that before leaving. At first, Lovino was silent and it seemed he would not get a response at all.

Finally, the big moment that had been waiting for occurred. Lovino seemed to have been contemplating the situation: contemplating how happy Feliciano was whenever around Ludwig, how he was too blind to notice that this real relationship of his may not work out like another from the past, and about how he still couldn't stand that bastard he was in love with. More than likely. Antonio threw in some comments about how he should stop trying to control his brother's life just because he wanted to feel like he was strong and so that he could hide his fears of being left alone. Because he had _him_ there, and he promised him that he wouldn't hurt him. Not ever.

This seemed to seal the deal. At long last, Lovino sighed and shrugged his shoulders before giving his answer of; "If that's the way it is, tell Feliciano he can do whatever the hell he wants with the guy. But I swear, he won't be welcomed back home _tonight_." This basically summed up why Feliciano was currently lying here in bed with him; having been in need of some place to go.

Ludwig and Feliciano had been absolutely surprised by what Lovino had said. Neither could really believe it, but Antonio assured them that it was all true and they were now free of his attempts to separate them. Unless fate was going to go back to being a bitch again, there was nothing to worry about. Feliciano had cheered happily and attacked his boyfriend in a hug, separating shortly afterward to inform him with a laugh or two that he would need a place to sleep for the night since Lovino was still being all tsundere and possibly too embarrassed to show his face outside the house. Seeing as though all felt right with the world, how could Ludwig have possibly said no to the offer? Besides, he actually liked sleeping with him – in a non-sexual way, mind you.

Now that all was said and done, Ludwig had offered to drop Antonio off at his home. Strangely, he just smirked and refused the offer. And once he popped the question as to why, Antonio replied that he was going to "spend the night" here with Lovi. And that was all that he said before waving goodbye and going back to the house with almost a spring in his step. One could only imagine what was going to go down tonight, but Feliciano suggested on the way to Ludwig's place that he was probably going to try and talk him into having sex or something like that.

If only he knew how correct he was with that theory.

At least everyone was finally living a happy ending after all of this chaos centered around just one kiss. Ludwig and Feliciano could finally be together without anymore objecting tsundere brothers and the cruel ways of fate. Antonio and Lovino were most likely going to end up together whether the latter wanted to accept that or not. Gilbert and Elizabeta finally made things more interesting between them and the latter finally gave in and most likely had sex. Somewhere between all of this, Kiku even managed to settle that very stressful love triangle he had gotten tied into.

"Ve...? Ludwig, where are you going?" Feliciano asked somewhat tiredly as he raised his head up. Ludwig had tried to slip out of the bed without causing much of a disturbance, though it did not work out well apparently.

It had been a few seconds, but Ludwig just couldn't drift off to sleep. How could he after all of the drama and chaos that went down tonight? He stood there by the bed and reached over to pull the fallen covers back over Feliciano's bare shoulders. "I can't sleep right now."

"So...what are you going to do? I hope it doesn't involve any sort of porn-"

"There is no reason to speak about that incident!"

Feliciano thought back to the last time he had taken up residence at his boyfriend's home for the evening. About that awkward incident with porn. He just remembered that they had agreed to not bring that up again. Stupid him.

Hoping that the major blush in his cheeks would cool eventually, Ludwig turned away and went over to the door. That's when Feliciano sat up once again and tilted his head in confusion.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go take a shower; but you can still stay in bed and sleep because you need any amount you can get."

Feliciano didn't protest to that comment. He lied back against the pillows, really not wanting to leave the warm, comfy bed. But being alone was not very comfortable for him. He was used to almost always having a bedfellow in some way whether they knew of his presence or not. He watched Ludwig leave and head to the bathroom.

It wasn't until Ludwig shut the door, did Feliciano pull back the covers and get out of the bed now having his mind made up.

_**. . .**_

No more than a few moments later, Ludwig was standing underneath a blast of warm water cascading down his body. It really felt quite relaxing after all of the tension and frustration these previous few weeks have brought him.

The warm water falling over his exhausted body was like heaven to say the least. He sighed underneath his breath, just letting it all take him away.

His mind was still centered on the topic of all the chaos and drama that had happened. It was very amazing to realize that previously, he had been so confused over how the hell to handle having romantic feelings for that ditzy Italian. He panicked and worried what should happen if this was ever revealed or what he could do to even get it through his head without having to do anything too embarrassing of course.

Then came the moment they were caught underneath that tree in the rain. When the moment felt so perfect and ever-lasting for the both of them. Reaching the point of when the confessions all came out. Ludwig's heart still – secretly 'cause he wouldn't admit _that _to anyone – skipped a beat as he recalled the moment Feliciano came out and said straight to the point that he really, really liked him.

Soon enough, Ludwig and Feliciano found themselves outside the former's home after one of their first dates. They had been watching movies and had such a great time just being in the same presence as each other. It was real magical almost. Something that neither had hardly felt in their entire lives. Right then and there, they realized how badly they wanted to kiss: to show the ultimate sign of just how much they cared about each other. It didn't...happen.

Which set off the chain of chaos, awkwardness, embarrassment, and perfect moments that had been horribly cockblocked too many times to count. There was several moments that they could have locked lips...so many moments that all went to waste. Gilbert and Elizabeta behind the scenes trying to provide _maybe helpful _advice. Each fail only brought more determination upon them.

Ludwig hadn't ever felt this way before. Until Feliciano crashed into his life (almost literally – given their first meeting), he didn't understand how love worked. Why did it make people feel so good and secure? Why would it make them hurt deeply once it ended badly? Needless to say, he started to really experience them.

Tonight they were going to go on their first date out in a public place. Both viewed this as a pretty big deal considering how strange they may look to other people – they would either be stared at because they were both guys or because they looked like opposites personality-wise and it seemed odd how they would even hook up. They had meant for everything to go well and have a memorable time. But that's when Antonio, whom was on their side, entered the picture and Lovino, whom was openly against the relationship.

It goes without saying what happened afterward. And at the final moment of reuniting, the two of them...finally shared a kiss. The kiss that they had been wanting all this time. The one that left quite an impact despite it being kept rather simple if not very prolonged. As Ludwig thought about it now, he realized just how much of a shock he felt once he had just moved in and kissed him. He didn't plan anything out, it was all just thought up right then and there.

All this time he had been worried how the hell he could plan it out to work. But was this unnecessary? Come to think of it; the moment when they were finally reunited and free to do whatever really felt perfect. Ludwig's mind was basically wandering, his body had just moved and leaned in. Every single action that occurred for them after the movie once Lovino intervened was hardly planned out – except for Antonio and his bizarre and yet likely plotting.

Perhaps he had thought this out too much. Ludwig had always tried to have some sort of plan in life to get things down and over. But with his relationship with Feliciano – plans of any sort fell through in maybe the good way. Soon enough he had contemplated the whole idea of love; you can't really rush into anything, calculate it to a T, and as far as the intimate gestures go...well, those come almost without knowing at the times when it is needed. There is so certain time frame or anything along those lines.

This week could prove to have been a fascinating, if not very exhausting and lengthy experience. As Ludwig stood underneath the falling warm water and let it just cascade heavily, he realized that he did come to understand lots of things. Perhaps some things he _could _have lived without knowing, but still some important things all the same.

Wait a second, was everything leading up to that kiss worth it?

That was a brief thought that wandered into Ludwig's mind. But, with a shrug, he let that drift away as he returned to lathering his body. Perhaps that question was irrelevant...

"Ve~ Is there any room in here?" Totally not expecting that voice, Ludwig's eyes widened and he turned in shock to see that the shower door was slid open and Feliciano happened to be there glancing around – surveying the overall room and layout of the spacious shower, mind you – with a thoughtful expression.

"Feliciano! What are you doing in here?" Yes, it was a lame question considering how Feli insisted on doing the quirkiest things, but Ludwig was just too shocked by his sudden appearance at the moment.

"I couldn't really sleep either; all of the excitement tonight did wear me out of course, I just can't drift off..." Totally oblivious to the fact Ludwig was suddenly uncomfortable due to noticing how they were both practically in the shower and naked on top of that, Feliciano clasped his hands together and smiled; this aura of blissful unawareness radiating from it. "A shower does sound relaxing~! Can I join?"

"Wha...but...but this isn't the only bathroom in the house..."

"Ve~ I know that, but the other bathroom is too far of a walk and I wouldn't want to infiltrate Gilbert or your father's. Is it alright if I join? Please, just this one time?"

Did...did Feliciano seriously have any idea how much unfortunate complications was arising from his request? Ludwig honestly wondered this, and blinked repeatedly for several seconds trying to comprehend how he could make the most awkward questions sound casual and innocent.

Well, did he really have much of a choice? Feliciano seemed to really want to...join him, so how could he say no to that? Besides, these kinds of situations were bound to come up eventually from the minute the ditzy Italian crashed into his life. Why resist?

Even if it felt sort of awkward, Ludwig agreed to let Feliciano join in. He blamed his exhaustion from the experience tonight and that one fantasy of him with a post-sex look going on after Gilbert filled his head with perverted ideas. Yeah, let's go with that suggestion for now at least.

"Thanks!" Feliciano happily stepped into the spacious shower and closed the door behind him. He sighed in a state of relaxation already once the steam descended over him. Ludwig just backed up to give themselves a decent distance between each other...this was awkward enough. "It's not fun to be alone. Ve~ when you're with other people, especially a special someone, the time really seems memorable."

Unbeknownst to Feliciano, Ludwig was blushing so, so hotly at that remark. Maybe he didn't mean anything too...questionable by it, but the whole implications that came with it were not so G-rated if you catch my drift.

There just happened to be another washrag lying over the top of the shower door so he reached for it and then brushed by Ludwig to rinse it. He seemed rather comfortable and casual as if this was a daily routine for him. "Um, Ludwig?"

Ludwig paused in awkwardly trying to forget about so close their _wet_, _naked bodies _were to each other and maneuvering the washrag over his chest. He looked back over to Feliciano in interest around what he was to say.

Feliciano didn't finish his statement at first. He seemed almost nervously hesitant as he looked up at Ludwig's face. Through his wet copper bangs falling over his temples. "I never got to tell you earlier tonight...ve~ I'm glad that we found each other."

"What makes you say that all of a sudden?" _Why does he insist on saying things like that? Does Feliciano not realize how inwardly nervous I am now?_

_Ve~ Ludwig must be nervous about this, I should go into more detail! _"Well...I wanted you to know this because when my fratello brought me back home tonight...I feared the worst. I thought he would never get to see each other again." Feliciano smiled once again, rather than earlier when it faltered. "Once I escaped from the window and landed in your arms I never felt more...well, rebellious and also very happy. Yet I still believed we would be torn apart. What I'm trying to say is...well, you get it."

"I think so. What you're trying to say is that you believed Lovino would tear us apart so you wanted to tell me...you were glad to have met me and come this far with the relationship. It was a nice experience." Ludwig explained, fairly confident that this was accurate. Judging by Feliciano's expression, he was accurate after all.

"Exactly~! Meeting you was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me because I've experienced so much! I guess what I'm trying to tell you is, it's nice having you in my life."

Oh God, Ludwig really wanted to be able to reply to that entire proclamation that he really hadn't expected from Feliciano. But he just...well, it was hard to find the words he was looking for as they were lost halfway. It was getting quite hot in that shower and most certainly wasn't from the steam entirely.

Taking into account how straightforward Feliciano was saying all of this, Ludwig had no doubt in his mind that it was all how he really felt and viewed the situation. Apparently, could be deep when he wanted to.

"Feliciano, I could say the same thing about you. And tonight, I just wanted to be able to prove that before the worst happened. I don't understand how it happened or when it did, but I've fallen for you hopelessly now. If you suddenly left my life I wouldn't be able to go on the same way." Feliciano, actually feeling quite flattered by the response, averted his gaze to his toes and blushed vividly. He didn't notice Ludwig move a little closer and then grab his soaked shoulders. "Maybe I don't show it often but I...I want this to last."

"Ve~ So let's make it last, Ludwig." Feliciano murmured, this was almost unheard because of the loudly flowing water over the shower head. Ludwig caught it, however – barely, but it did count. His Italian boyfriend looked up into his eyes and fondly smiled. "Regardless of any of other obstacles and interruptions that pass by..."

Thankfully, the water was running loudly as it flowed over them and to the drain. Otherwise, Ludwig's rapidly-thumping heat would have probably been heard easily. He and Feliciano stared at each other, still remaining in their positions and the way they were holding a gaze...it was inexplicably tempting for a...

Well, that thought didn't have to even be complete in either of their heads. Ever so slowly, the two leaned in once again. Eagerly waiting for their lips to meet in a bit of a longer kiss – which finally happened in the correct fashion without any screw-ups or cockblocks bursting into the scene. It actually seemed that fate wasn't _always _a bitch.

Things now heating up, in more ways than one, Ludwig and Feliciano's kiss actually lasted a little bit longer this time and was quite enjoyable for the both of them. It didn't occur to them that there was going to be one hell of a water bill after this event, all that mattered was that it was just them. Alone together. At long last.

Hmm...was the overly-thought out planning really a bad thing in hindsight? Apparently, not so much. If they hadn't been so determined to at least have just one little kiss, Ludwig and Feliciano most likely would have never experienced all of this and feel so good in the end. Just the thought that this chaos and drama happened and they earned a happy ending when all was said and done.

_In hindsight... _Ludwig almost unconsciously pinned Feliciano against the tiled while, the latter rather willing to let this happen but he still reached his hands around his boyfriend's neck and pulled him closer to which their lips met in another kiss.

_Hell yes. This was worth all the chaos I experienced this past week..._

_**. . .**_

_**And so, The End – at least until Gilbert returned home afterward and walked in on the two in the shower. But that's a story to tell for another time...**_

_**. . .**_

**Was that one hell of an epilogue or what? Length of course, because I wanted to wrap up everything in this one epilogue and not have to stretch it out to a second. I left the ending somewhat ambiguous on purpose: I will leave it to open to your interpretation what exactly went on in that shower with Ludwig and Feliciano. ;D**

**And about that ending statement...I seriously considered having Gilbert return from Elizabeta's (her mother returned home and caught them in bed – so let's just say the scene wasn't taken well) and walk in on Ludwig and Feliciano. In fact, I actually WROTE THAT in the original draft but it was discarded by the last second. Actually, I have several little scenes written in the original draft of this story that didn't make the final cut. (Would you like to see them? LOL.)**

**I hope that the overall story was to your liking. Thank you for taking some time out of your life to read 'Just One Kiss'; it really means a lot to know it was liked. And the fact it has...freaking 50 reviews! *Blushes and rubs the back of her neck***

**Read and review, they are appreciated! **


	11. Bonus Scene 1

**The very suspenseful story of 'Just One Kiss' has ended now. But have you seen the WHOLE story as it was originally written?**

***Smirks* Truth be told, you haven't. In the original draft of this story (Yes, I _did _write an entire draft! Why do you think updates took forever?), there were some notable scenes taken out whole others were left intact. The "chapters" that you are about to see are original scenes in the fanfic I had taken out (reasons will be mentioned, don't worry). So don't gasp happily and assume that you're reading more of the story, think of this as...bonus material.**

**Like that of bonus features on a DVD of some liked movie? (Fuck, that comparison could not have been more lame!)**

**Now then, this first scene was scrapped from the story because I found it to be written shabbily compared to the rest of the prologue. And also, I did not want to start the story out with a flashback – that is much too overdone in fanfiction anyway. Can a hard-working anime fangirl get a little credit for _attempting _to be original? ._.'**

**Basically, this takes place before the events of the prologue. Before Ludwig and Feliciano got caught in the rain that day and eventually confessed. Ludwig meets up with Kiku (whom has some problems of his own with a certain two guys we know rather well), and confides in him about these strange feelings that he's developed when around Feliciano.**

**Because, let's face it, Ludwig had NO ONE ELSE at the time.**

…

_**Just One Kiss – The bonus, scrapped scenes**_

_**Scene #1: "What Are These Strange Feelings?"**_

…

What are these strange feelings that Ludwig felt when around a certain person now?

If only that question had some sort of answer. Ludwig didn't know what was going on at all, and why he had to begin feeling so strange around one of his friends.

Ludwig was just an ordinary seventeen year old German male. Having only been living out of his home country for eight years, he felt somewhat strange around the new scenery, but he was getting adjusted gradually. Ludwig attended a rather good school and was near graduating soon enough. He could be kind of rough and uptight at first glance – God knows he really can be through and through – and wasn't the type to fool around. Everything had to be orderly, everything had to have some sort of plan so that it could go perfectly by that plan.

What most people didn't know was that despite being gruff at first glance and encounter, he was awkward with people and hardly knew what friendships and romantic relationships were like. Most soft emotions were a mystery for him. Little did most know – he could get easily flustered and shy by situations involving anything that he considered uncomfortable (like love or simply brushing across the skin of another another person).

Ludwig never really figured he would wind up friends with Feliciano Vargas, a cheery and ditzy Italian classmate, and Kiku Honda, a reserved and somewhat socially awkward Japanese classmate. In fact, it was quite odd how they got long despite conflicting personalities. Still, none of the three questioned anything.

Now things were rapidly changing either for the better or worse for Ludwig and Feliciano. The former was beginning to feel...strange around the latter and didn't know how to describe it. How could he, seeing as though he never felt this weird around someone before? The more that he quietly thought about this when he would lie awake in deep thought, he realized more and more that these feelings did exist but were more controllable or easy to dismiss as nothing.

When away from Feliciano, Ludwig would sometimes find himself letting his mind wander to him. What was he doing, how he was feeling, did he ever managed to tame that suspicious and yet cute curl on his head, what did he think about him, does he notice that he will bristle in nervousness at the slightest brush of a hand, ect. He tried to dismiss this as nothing, but then he realized he couldn't once he took notice of how he _wanted _to hear his voice or see his face.

When around Feliciano, ooooh boy, he really couldn't stay as inwardly calm and collected as he wished to be. Maybe Ludwig could still keep a stoic look and attitude up front, but that didn't stop his heart from hammering against his chest when he and the clueless Italian were in close proximity or when he gave off another one of his infamous mixed messages that made his mind short-circuit. At seeing his smiling face, he felt like any crappy day he was having would suddenly be uplifted. Any time that they were all alone, "accidentally" brushing against each other, or simply making eye contact and nothing more, he would feel his cheeks begin to burn and redden intensely before he awkwardly dismissed to himself any possibility of him actually...liking it.

When these feelings began to strengthen overtime, Ludwig didn't know what he could possibly do to harbor them and insist to Feliciano that he was totally fine and there was no reason for him to be concerned when he reacted oddly to eye contact or simple touches. He couldn't...he couldn't possibly come to his obnoxious older brother, Gilbert, with these problems or be subjected to a crap ton of embarrassment and never live down the immature teasing. (God knows Gilbert lived on being immature about these kinds of things; Ludwig was honestly still surprised he managed to get a girlfriend despite his annoying characteristics!)

Bringing these problems to Feliciano would be just as embarrassing – if not more. He didn't want the oblivious Italian to know how strange he was feeling because he may take things the _wrong _way. Either that, or he would jump straight to conclusions and interpret this as something like...no, wait, Ludwig couldn't even complete that thought without feeling extremely flustered.

In all honesty, the only person that he could vent with and not be embarrassed to death or judged would be...

…

"...So, Ludwig, why did you call and ask me to meet you here?" Asked a somewhat confused Kiku once he rose an ebony brow and looked questionably a slightly hesitating Ludwig across the table. He thought for a moment, before adding, "It is the weekend after all and Feliciano told me yesterday that he wanted to spend some time with you all _alone_. Not to mention you sounded desperate on the phone..."

Kiku was probably the only person that Ludwig could talk to without feeling completely embarrassed about the subject. And it was convenient that he was free this weekend and could stop by this tiny eating establishment for an ideal setting in which conversation could flow perhaps non-awkwardly. He was a listener and Ludwig could tell him all this stuff and be able to fall asleep easily tonight knowing that he wouldn't open his big mouth and reveal the information. At least, not that he was aware of.

Nevertheless, he still remained hesitant about going on to explain why he passed up spending some time _alone _with Feliciano (damn, it killed him to refuse the offer especially after Feliciano sighed in a disappointed manner), to chat with him out in some public place.

Ludwig avoided Kiku's curious gaze, settling his own on the table that his hands were folded over. "I have no one else to talk to. I knew you probably needed to be out of the house so those two rivals – what's their names – can't come over and compete for you."

At that statement, Kiku's cheeks began to rapidly turn crimson and he seemed to sink in his seat for a brief moment. "Um...yes...that's true. How did you know-"  
>"Everyone around the school is aware of what's going on. I hear people every week day – chatting about which of the two you will decide to go out with." Noticing how suddenly flustered Kiku was about the subject, Ludwig sighed and decided to just cut this short to prevent any <em>further <em>embarrassment. "Honestly, you really need to choose either one of them that you like the most or reject them both so we can all get to another topic."

Kiku really didn't want anyone to talk about this love triangle subject. It was a prominent topic around the school and had been for several months. Ludwig himself didn't really give much interest in this, but a lot of people – in fact – did. What he knew of this subject was that two rivals, a Greek and a Turk whom both happened to be interested in him. Emphasis on _interested_. Of course, this was a little embarrassing for him because he didn't know how he felt about either and he didn't like being the center of all this attention.

Trying to move away from the uncomfortable subject, Ludwig switched back to himself. And was almost hesitant because he was that much more closer to revealing how odd he has been feeling around their ditzy Italian friend.

"What I want to talk about is...ah...it's sort of about Feliciano in a way." Kiku's dark brown eyes began to shift back to Ludwig in maybe a little bit of interest. Was this good? "Look, I am not that good with people and sometimes I fail to determine emotions or certain feelings."

"Yes, I already knew this. I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are trying to say and how Feliciano is involved."

Why did he insist on making this harder than it has to be? Couldn't Kiku take a hint once in a while? "Kiku, Feliciano has everything to do with it." Ludwig pressed a palm to his forehead and sighed deeply. "Lately, something's changed and I can't figure out what it is. But I know that I haven't always felt this strangely about him. Please just hear me out; I need to get some sort of diagnoses."

"I will hear you out." Kiku resisted the urge to sigh, meanwhile he contemplated how he always had to be dragged into the problems of someone else. "Still, I'm not a doctor or anything. I may not be able to be accurate with the suggestion, Ludwig."

"In this moment, anything would help me."

There was another small silence lingering in the air. It was obvious that Kiku wanted him to go on and voice his problems, voice how strangely he's been feeling around Feliciano of all people. But Ludwig couldn't do it so easily without feeling that same annoying embarrassment return.

His light blue eyes traveled all around the fair-sized restaurant. Glancing with no interest at all of the people at table and booths eating, chatting, or both. And some other customers just stepping through the doorway and going to the corner to take their orders. At long last, his nervous gaze did settle back to Kiku.

Not to mention that the words he was trying to search for in his head were becoming more clearer. Ludwig began to explain his problems in a little bit of a quiet tone as he went on, "Remember the first time I ever met Feliciano? You were present at the time, and after he collected his things that had fallen and bounced away to his class, I mentioned to you that he seemed odd. At first, I wondered if we would ever establish...something like a friendship – which we did." Dammit, he could feel some heat sneaking it's way into his cheeks as he went on. Why did this have to be so embarrassing? "Now, I don't know what to think about him. There has been these unusual thoughts and feelings all directed towards him whether we are together or not."

"Are these feelings...familiar?" Kiku suggested, hoping that this would make the situation less obviously difficult to voice casually. "If they are, define if they are good or bad."

"I just...don't know how to describe them. In my life, I've always been distant from other people and hardly understand them. Now that I actually managed to befriend the both of you, especially Feliciano, I feel strange." Thoughtfully, Ludwig glanced away. He hoped that he could recall when these strange feelings and thoughts about Feliciano had begun, however, he could not place a time line. "Whenever I'm around him now...I don't feel composed and collected, it feels like my head is spinning and my heart is about to explode from my chest. At the slightest touches, my cheeks begin to burn and I feel a strange...sensation."

All of a sudden, Ludwig paused and Kiku froze in his nodding. They both felt a rather curios stare centered upon them and they wore quizzical expressions as they craned their necks to see a familiar teenage guy with dark blond hair and glasses staring at them from the next table questionably.

Upon realizing they noticed his presence, and his high curiosity on who they could be speaking of, the guy, Alfred, immediately turned his attention back to the large plate of food he had with him and pretended to be innocent.

Rolling his eyes, Ludwig turned back to Kiku and then went on with voicing these strange feelings and thoughts about the assumed unaware Italian. "Let's just forget that he was listening. My point here is that...I never have felt this strangely about Feliciano before and it really gets the best of me."

Oh dear God, did he realize what he was trying to imply here? Kiku was beginning to get more of a general idea of what may be happening, yet he remained indifferent and prompted the _big questions_: "Well...are these feelings annoying at all? Do you wish that it would all stop?"

"Normally this would annoy me, it actually does a little because I don't feel like myself or can't stay focused." There it was again, that same heat flooding to his cheeks. At least Feliciano was not anywhere near to here this conversation: he was kind a picky eater and hated the food that was served here. "Strange enough, I don't mind it."

"That isn't so strange..." Ludwig and Kiku's brows knitted together and they once again craned their necks to see Alfred once again looking other at them, smirking knowingly and resting an arm on the back of his chair.

Around school, Ludwig didn't really know that much about Alfred. They didn't really have the same classes but it he did know that he was American, was loud and craved to be the center of attention, and he was into sports. Kiku, on the other hand, would occasionally hang out with him. Occasionally.

"Alfred, what are you trying to say?" Ludwig sighed, wondering why fate would have to have Alfred listening in on a conversation that was fully intended to be private.

"In case you haven't figured it out yet, you _like _Feliciano – and by that, I mean _way beyond _that of a friend!" Alfred just about announced to the entire room. It caused some eyes to shift towards the three of them, but everyone else seemingly didn't give a fuck because this happened so much.

Kiku promptly shook his head and pressed a hand to his forehead. It was almost embarrassing to have eyes suddenly shifting their way. And besides, he didn't have to announce this to Ludwig so soon because he kind of...wanted to know what _thoughts _Ludwig was having which were Feliciano-centric.

Overly-curious, anyone?

At that loud revelation, Ludwig stared just about speechless at Alfred. His eyes widened and the beat of his heart quickened and he was worried it may be audible to everyone in the building.

Could he really...like him in that sort of way? Was that why he felt so strange and had odd thoughts? Come to think of it, this did seem likely to be. But how and when did this happen?

His head was spinning and he wasn't sure if he could make some sort of reply to that. But Alfred seemed confident in his opinion. Then again, wasn't he always?

"Dude, everyone around school can see how much he clings to you and is bouncing at your side. And you seem to like it, otherwise you would coldly push him away like Arthur _attempts _to do to me!" Alfred explained confidently, turning back to his food. He stuffed another sandwich into his mouth and proceeded to eat, seemingly ditching the conversation altogether.

Of course, Kiku was kind of relieved that he shut his big mouth. Otherwise, Ludwig would have probably killed him for suggesting such a thing. Even though it was all too true. Ludwig would push Feliciano away and ignore him of he didn't care.

Seeing as though he never pushed the ditzy and clingy Italian away too roughly, or ignored his actions or words entirely, that was enough proof that he did feel something. Not to mention his body language would give him away to the spectators. Though Ludwig denied it, everyone else fully knew he tried to do nice things (even if they were brief and he denied he was being concerned) for him. If Feliciano got injured in some way, he would help him out. If Feliciano needed a drive because his license got taken away (again), he would give him that drive. And if Feliciano ever needed a place to stay when his older brother came home in a pissed off mood reacting violently all night, he would give permission to stay at his home; but sometimes only when he knew his brother Gilbert wasn't there.

Ludwig hardly considered that he may be...you know, falling for him in that way. He didn't know what it felt like, so how would he identify these strange...moments of weakness and confusion?

"As strange as this is to admit," Kiku and Ludwig returned to their original positions, the former removed his hand from his face and met Ludwig's shifting eyes momentarily. "Alfred was right. It feels strange to voice this conclusion, but it is very likely that you are developing feelings for Feliciano. Do not feel awkward; it took me a very long amount of time to admit that I...felt that same way about..._somebody_."

Although still in deep thought about the situation, wondering in the back of his mind how he would possibly be able to handle developing feelings for Feliciano, Ludwig asked almost desperately, "What am I supposed to do about this?"

There was silence for a lengthy amount of time. Neither were certain how long it was going to last, until Kiku finally released a small breath and quietly declared, "I do not know how Feliciano feels, but the only thing that you can do at this point is get him alone somewhere and confess."

'_The only thing you can do at this point, is to get him alone somewhere and confess. The only thing that you can do at this point is to get him alone somewhere and confess..._' That statement was on a repeat in Ludwig's thoughts, seemingly growing louder each time to the point of where it all became understandable. He glanced down at the table, almost burning holes with his gaze. Despite the composed expression, the hot blush adorning his face really gave his feelings away.

Maybe Feliciano should know he really felt...but the only problem was this: Ludwig hadn't the slightest idea how the hell he would react. And judging by the way that Kiku explained almost suspiciously knowingly about how to proceed, this was going to one of the most embarrassing times of his life...

_**To Be Continued**_

…

**There are four fun facts to this original scene which did not make the final cut:**

**1( I was sort of late in publishing this. I fully intended to do it on Sunday afternoon.**

**2( When writing this months ago, I had been listening to the song _Just A Kiss _by _Lady Antebellum_. Can you guess where the title inspiration came from?**

**3( Kiku so approved of Ludwig falling for Feliciano but he did not wish to reveal that. And honestly, if he did, then I'm guessing he would have been one of those at the end to aid in them getting their first kiss. At the time, of course, he had still been out with Herakles.**

**4( Alfred is such an annoyance in this scene, but I love 'em anyway. *Cough* *Cough* In a patriotic way of course... *Cough* *Cough***

**Soon I will publish the next scene that didn't make the final cut. Please stay tuned in and R&R!**


	12. Bonus Scene 2

**I wonder...should I take away the 'complete' mark since I'm adding some of the scenes that didn't make the cut, or should I leave as it? O_o**

**Well, anyway, here is the next chapter which did not make the final cut: Elizabeta and Feliciano having a little chat about the latter's strange feelings for Ludwig he has recently begun to notice. It didn't end up in the final work, mostly because I felt it would have been not needed because Feliciano's feelings were already made known practically by the way that he acted around Ludwig. And because the story didn't shift to him as the main focus many times.**

**Enjoy, and commentary is appreciated!**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss – The bonus, scrapped scenes**_

_**Scene #2: Feliciano's Realization, Elizabeta's Amusement**_

_**. . .**_

There was something strange going on...Feliciano could not figure out what it was though. God knows he tried as hard as he could to narrow down the possibilities and pinpoint why he was recently feeling even more...odd around Ludwig, a German classmate whom he had befriended and constantly hung around.

Don't get the wrong idea. Feliciano didn't mind feeling so strangely as of late...it actually felt kind of good when they were all alone. The fact that they were all alone – just him and Ludwig...yet he still became a little uneasy and worried about screwing something up _again_. And whenever he would touch him, even the slightest brush, it made him smile and try to hold back a sigh. Whenever their eyes would meet, he no longer felt intimidated by how unwavering and serious he looked, he would either blush and look away or keep the moment prolonged and just stare as lost in a trance by how nice and blue they were up close.

Even more so, Feliciano would always tag along at his side and offer to visit him after school. And once he agreed, the Italian would make sure that he looked alright and would freak at glancing into his reflection ahead of time and seeing at least one hair on his eyebrows sticking out of place. He always was sort of conscious of his appearance...but not on this level as he was.

For several weeks, Feliciano secretly thought over his problems. Not understanding why he was acting so weird and very conscious of his ditzy and clumsy actions and appearance. Now, he finally realized just how much he wanted Ludwig to be in his life and he wanted him to not think of him in a negative manner.

The poor thing could barely get much sleep. Reasons for that varied each night, but the most that came up a lot were either for excitement of something that him and Ludwig would be doing together the next day. Or he just could not drift off because his head was spinning about what to do.

When it came down to it, Feliciano _knew_ that there was something going on. He had to discover what exactly and the reason why he was becoming more and more flirtatious around Ludwig whether he realized this or not. And...there was only one person that he could speak with privately and have faith that none of the information would be given to the public...

_**. . .**_

Nervously hesitant, Feliciano rung the doorbell of a fair-sized home that he knew all too well. He waited for a few seconds until a slightly-older girl flung the door open and instantly smiled fondly at seeing him.

This girl had long brown hair, sparkling green eyes, very white skin, and she wore a brown tank top and knee length brown shorts. Feliciano knew her as Elizabeta; a friend of his whom also happens to be currently dating Ludwig's brother...who Feliciano has no idea what he looks like.

"Hello, Feliciano. What brings you by my house on a Saturday?"

"Ve~ Elizabeta...I need to talk to you about something." Feliciano finally met her eyes, and Elizabeta could conclude that by the look she saw, this was indeed important.

"Hmm...come inside. I was about to get ready to go do some things for my mother, but this is far more important!

_**. . .**_

In a matter of minutes, Elizabeta and Feliciano made their way through the former's home. It was decorated nicely and a little bit more spacious than what one would expect from seeing the outside only. No conversation was made during this time, which indicated that Elizabeta really did find whatever he wanted to speak with her about _important_.

Usually, when Feliciano would visit, they would go into the living room to chill and talk. So he was sort of confused when she grabbed his wrist and led him up the stairs, through a tiny hallway, and into her bedroom.

And you know that when Elizabeta drags someone to her bedroom to talk, this was a deeply serious situation. Why did this make Feliciano a little nervous though? Was it due to the fact he was about to ask her what she thought of his sudden strange feelings around Ludiwg, or because she even went as far as to close her door and pull down the open window?

"Feliciano," Elizabeta began after applying some of her hidden strength and pulling down the window, "I could sense by the tone in your voice and the look in your eyes, this is about something critical. Something that may prove to cause a lot of chaos in the _very near _future, but we must talk anyway."

"Ve~ Maybe so..." Feliciano occasionally glanced down at the floor while randomly picking at the covers on the edge of Elizabeta's bed. Elizabeta, meanwhile, leaned against the wall folding her arms.

"Please, tell me about your problems." '_Is this about his friends Ludwig or Kiku? Preferably, any signs of romantic interest in either?_'

"I don't really...know where to begin. But I guess it has something to do with Ludwig, your boyfriend's younger brother." '_Ve~ I wonder if she senses how nervous I am..._'

"Oh?" Elizabeta disguised her very obvious interest with a quizzical look, as if she hadn't the slightest idea what he was taking about. Even though she knew about Ludwig as she had been introduced to him once. "What is going on with Ludwig?"

Well, here he goes. It was time to reveal to Elizabeta how strangely he had been feeling, how flirtatious he seemed to be getting more and more around his reserved friend, and why he felt sudden sparks at just meeting his eyes.

He had practiced earlier that morning, out of his tsundere and absurdly over-protective older brother's earshot of course, how he would expand about the topic. Usually, he could talk with Elizabeta so easily and rapidly...now he felt hesitant.

All he had to do was take a deep breath, collect his thoughts, and just try and say as much as possible so that Elizabeta would not have trouble identifying the problem or coming up with a solution.

"It's not really about Ludwig himself...I don't know, maybe it's just me. I've been noticing for a while, even more so, that I just feel weird around him."

"Weird? Can you go into more detail?" Yes, yes she sounded way too curious for her own good. But Elizabeta couldn't help it, she loved it when Feliciano came to her with a problem or with a request.

A light pink color rose into Feliciano's cheeks and burned hotly as he went with the explanation. His tone gradually became more like his usual self as he went on. "Ve~ When I first met him I...I was a little intimidated because he seemed scary and cold. Then time went on and I realized he wasn't so bad and actually kind of shy and awkward, especially when it came to me. And then we became friends, I was relieved because somehow...despite being intimidated, I wanted to get to know him."

"And you know him well now." Elizabeta gradually made her way across the room to her bed and took a seat near Feliciano, resting her chin on her hand. "But tell me, is this about your feelings drifting into...a territory _beyond _platonic?" '_God, I hope so! Ludwig and Feliciano...they would make such a cute couple~!_'

What Elizabeta was obviously implying was: did he want to become more than friends with Ludwig? Has he somehow fallen for him over time and just didn't notice until now? Feliciano's smile gave away his embarrassment, causing Elizabeta to have to hide her own because she honestly was loving where this conversation was going.

"Ve~ You know, Elizabeta, I haven't thought about that." Admitted Feliciano, it was somewhat quiet. And suddenly, the casual feeling in the room moved away into a more tense setting as the confused Italian's eyes opened for the first time that week and were clouded with unknown emotion. "Years ago, a boy I really liked that way...he came to me after some time and announced he was moving to another country; I haven't heard from him or seen him since that day and I've been unsure about falling for anyone else." He sighed and glanced back at the floor. "But, I probably sound really depressing right now-"

"I never even knew this part of the story!" Elizabeta interjected quickly, hoping that they could hold onto what was left of this topic and she could be told more. "You have told me about the boy, his appearance, and some things that you did together. I feel sort of in the dark about the rest of the story."

"Yes. I was only a little kid and I had the rest of my life ahead of me." Feliciano sounded less sad in his tone, Elizabeta found this refreshing and looked back to see that his eyes were once again shut like usual and he was leaning back onto the bed comfortably as he gathered his thoughts. "He moved and I got over him...Ve~ now I may be starting to really, really like Ludwig as I did that boy."

"I'm listening..." And Elizabeta meant it well. She had her interested face on and Feliciano would not have doubted the possibility of her reaching for a random snack food and eating as she listened.

"Whenever I even look into his eyes...it's...it feels like it's only me and him. No one else even exists. I feel secure and of importance when he pays attention to me...I like that feeling and I guess that is why I like to remain at his side and cling to his arm so much." With each word, Elizabeta's smile increased. Feliciano was unaware of her amusement and perhaps disturbing love of this explanation. "Even if I say the wrong thing, make another mistake, or do something ridiculous. Ludwig will get pissed and sometimes scold me about the situation – whether he wants to admit it or not, he still provides some help every time."

Feliciano lied back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could not fight back his dreamy smile, even as going as far as to talk about Ludwig in this way made him feel so...so strangely happy. He could talk about him forever and never run out of anything to say. That may or may not have been what his best girl friend expected him to do right now too, but this will not be elaborated on right now.

He went on to explain how he really did feel safe when he would hold onto his arm when he was terrified and at the breaking point, ready to give up and run away from his problems that he got caught up in, burying his face into it and praying to God he wouldn't hear his own heartbeat begin to ring loudly for all to hear.

It really didn't matter what stupid things that he did. Ludwig must have cared enough to be of some help. Feliciano honestly liked the sweet moments when he would thank the warmly usually stoic and unwavering German. Afterward, Ludwig would look away to try and hide the visible scarlet creeping up to his cheeks as he kept a straight face.

His constantly overpowering and sometimes very drastic brother, Lovino, always said harmful things to him. Feliciano tried to not take offense, he assumed that maybe there _had _to be a _deep _reason why he acted that way. Sometimes, his vulgar words and hateful comments did a little damage. But...when he was ever feeling too sad by that for a change, he would be perked up and his world brightened up as soon as he would take his problems and openly ramble to Ludwig...

Ludwig would obviously try to do anything he could to make him feel better. Though he kept it vague, as if to not reveal that he really felt bad for him and hated to see him so down.

"It's in my blood to be flirtatious and misleading with my words and actions, Ve~ sometimes I notice that Ludwig reacts strangely to it as if secretly embarrassed or flattered or some strange mixture." Feliciano sighed, Elizabeta couldn't quite detect what this was due to. Oh well. "Lately, I feel like I really mean to be flirtatious...it's as if I really want to see him react. And then, sometimes I wonder why I want him to notice me like that." Feliciano was silent for several seconds, in realization, his sparkly golden brown eyes opened wide for a change and he met Elizabeta's curious green ones. "Ve! Elizabeta!"

"W-why are you suddenly shouting?" Elizabeta asked in surprise, just about jerking back and removing her hand from his shoulder.

"Do you think that..." There was no way that Feliciano could disguise the knowing smile tugging at his lips and the bright red color that was sneaking into his cheeks. "Maybe I do want our relationship to go beyond a friendship? Am I feeling this way because in reality, I really, really like Ludwig?"

That would seem the only logical explanation. Honestly, Elizabeta suspected and hoped this from the beginning. And she could only pray that Feliciano realized this now. He leaned forward almost expectantly. "I don't know...Feliciano, tell me, do you believe that that's really how you feel?"

"Veee~" Why did the room suddenly feel like it was a hundred degrees? Well, in any case, Feliciano tugged at his shirt collar and looked down at the floor. "I think so..."

"That settles it!" Elizabeta suddenly announced gleefully. "Feliciano, you do like Ludwig – way beyond that of a friendship and there's only one thing left to do..." She smiled warmly and slipped her arm around Feliciano's shoulder affectionately, giving off the vibe that she was so on his side. "You have to _tell _Ludwig."

After that last comment, Elizabeta considered biting her tongue. She almost believed that she suggested that too soon and judging by Feliciano's lack of comments, or protests, she said the wrong thing. In an attempt to smooth things over as soon as possible, she quickly mentioned, "But you don't have to tell Ludwig too soon! That would rush things and he may be confused – knowing how shy he can be and all..." With a nod, Elizabeta picked up where she left off and continued onward. "After me and Roderich broke up and I began to realize that I had feelings for Gilbert, I took all the time in the WORLD to swallow my pride and say those three huge words..."

"But he may not feel the same way..." Feliciano pointed out, he felt sick as to even consider that to be true. In all honesty, he really did want to be with Ludwig and if he didn't return his feelings...

Being the concerned friend that she was, Elizabeta offered a knowing, almost smug smile and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I'm sure that he will have to admit sooner or later how he truly feels. Something just tells me that he may feel the same."

"He may reject me."

"Possibly. But I believe that he may be having the same realization as you are."

And Elizabeta was spot-on with that last comment. Because she and Gilbert had been secretly teaming up and exchanging information back and forth. Judging by what Gilbert has reported to her; his little brother most definitely felt the exact same way for Feliciano.

Now for them to confess...

_**To Be Continued**_

**. . .**

**Four facts:**

**1( I was listening to lots of love songs at the time of writing this chapter. Just to get myself in the mood.**

**2( Gilbert and Elizabeta are a couple of puppet masters apparently. *Resists the urge to sing Master of Puppets as she recalls the song which is not relevant to this story***

**3( This takes place during the time that Ludwig is talking to Kiku. LOL, perfect timing!**

**4( Did you catch the reference? Feliciano liked another boy when he was younger and then he moved away and never saw him again, and much later he meets Ludwig and falls in love all over again. Does this sound familiar to anything? HINT HINT.**

**I hope that you liked the bonus scene – the next should come by the end of this week the next! Read and review!**


	13. Bonus Scene 3

**You've seen Ludwig and Feliciano's confession via the flashback in the chapter "Reunited Again". But you haven't seen what led up to that; which is what this scene which didn't make the final cut reveals. I hope you enjoy it – comments and whatnot are appreciated!**

**This one did not make the final cut because I felt it was too short and would be just a lot of filler crap. Whether it is or not is up to you alone now.**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss – the bonus, scrapped scenes**_

_**Scene #3: Leading Up To The Confession**_

_**. . .**_

So that was why he was feeling so strange. That was why he had the strangest suspicion that there was something more to his real thoughts about that oblivious and hopeless Italian.

It was just amazing how he managed to fall for him and not notice up until it was basically spelled out for him (thank you, Alfred). Ludwig had never developed these sort of feelings before, let alone befriended anyone. As embarrassing as it was to admit, he really didn't have much of an understanding of people. That was never once revealed to a soul, however.

Since the talk with Kiku, Ludiwg could not look at Feliciano the _same way_ he always had. Before reality hit, abused, maimed, and _devoured_ him, he viewed the Italian as somewhat annoying and truly wondered why he still tried to put up with his antics and decisions. And the question of why he experienced strange feelings when in his presence ensued.

After encountering Feliciano later that day, by total chance downtown when he was taking a stroll to try and clear his mind, that was when he started feeling weirder than ever. At merely seeing his bright, fond smile, there was that same nervousness welling up once again. When they stopped to have a short chat, he could barely speak without worrying ahead of time if he was sounding strong and composed like usual; because he felt so very different inwardly. As you may expect, he ensured that Feliciano suspected nothing and was treated the same as usual.

Once Feliciano said goodbye and walked away, maybe or maybe not purposely brushing past Ludwig to which their arms met for a fleeting moment, that was when he could feel his heart skip a beat and it wasn't in a bad way at all. In fact, Ludwig made sure that Feli was completely gone and out of sight before he backed up to a nearby streetlight and leaned against it for balance.

Raising a hand and pressing it to his suddenly burning cheeks, Ludwig knew right then and there that keeping all of these strange feelings under control and masked would be so freaking brutal. He could do anything else, but not this. When it came to emotions, he just...they got the best of him.

He wanted to be able to tell Feliciano what he found out and why he was acting strange and not fully himself. What was the reason that he would occasionally stare at him for an overextended amount of time and try to disguise it. Why he reacted nervously upon personal space being demolished. And why was hellbent on making sure he kept up an overall positive opinion of him and would deny he acted that way.

In the back of his mind, a nagging voice told him not to say anything. Why should he let emotions break him down now when he has already lived seventeen years without them dragging him to his downfall? Besides, he had already proven to Feliciano and other people that he was a no-nonsense and stoic type of person. Letting anyone discover how so very different he was in the presence of one certain oblivious guy it was...

That thought was never once complete. Because then it would become ignored by a second side, perhaps softer – since when did he have a soft side, anyway? – saying the opposite. Reminding him that Feliciano so was the type of person to worry; and he may get the wrong idea as to why Ludwig was reacting oddly around him and purposely trying to avoid doing anything alone that could be considered...flirtatious.

All of this was really interfering with his life and things just...just were not the same between him and Feliciano before. Kiku could easily sense this – though he would hardly admit that – and he tried to provided some sort of advice for Ludwig. In the end, he couldn't be much of a help because he had problems of his own...with a certain Greek and Turk whom he had been trying to reason with for _several months_ now. Something had to be done before this screwed up his life entirely.

Ludwig tried to not let others come to the conclusion that something was wrong. Against his knowledge, everyone was beginning to notice that something was not quite the same. He would spend a longer amount of time in his room (ask his brother, he would heavily imply that he heard Feliciano's name mentioned between deep breaths and some rather dirty actions going on in there), hardly spoke to Gilbert or their father, took out his frustrations on cleaning the home without reason (borderline _OCD_), and he couldn't remain inwardly calm around Feliciano and no longer felt required to help with problems – he felt as though he wanted to.

One night, after having stalked his brother around school and his arrival back home, Gilbert had suddenly come to the conclusion of what must be wrong. Of course, Gilbert had the liberty to stalk him as much as he wanted because he planned to not go off to college and wanted to lie around the house all day and then spend huge amounts of time with his girlfriend.

Ludwig had been as normal as ever during most of his classes. But Gilbert easily noticed little moments when he would try and sneak glances at a perfectly unknowing Feliciano. When his brother realized that he had been looking too long and his staring attracted attention, he would simply turn back to his work and furiously write stuff as to distract his mind. In between classes, he would meet up with his two and only friends at once and act as he usually did. When these two guys whom Gilbert didn't know the name of called out greetings to the Japanese one, he would immediately walk fast away from the scene before he could be spotted; leaving Ludwig and Feliciano awkwardly alone.

At first, Gilbert was surprised that this guy was one of his friends. This guy was actually pretty damn cute and his various gestures and overall personality brightened the atmosphere as time went on. The two were complete opposites, and yet, Gilbert couldn't force his broadening twisted smirk to go away in his undisguised amusement at seeing how nervous and flustered his brother became as the flamboyant guy practically all-out implied he was interested and almost purposely made comments that could be considered very overly-friendly. Truth be told, Gilbert wasn't ashamed to admit to himself that he felt so bisexual at that point seeing as though Feliciano was beginning to captivate him.

Alas, he knew very well that he _wanted _Elizabeta. And besides, she told him on numerous occasions that he was one of her best friends. Still, at least _Gilbert _could get the best of both worlds, right?

As the day went on, Gilbert sneaked around just watching his brother. For some reason, the conclusion that Ludwig liked that bouncy and ditzy Italian was number one on his mental list of scenarios. But the day had not ended yet, and he needed the last few pieces of evidence before he could piece this new found information together. And luckily, it all came out during these moments after Ludwig returned home:

_**. . .**_

It had been a few hours since Gilbert stealthily trailed Ludwig all the way back to the starting point, home, and he now had a very high possibility that the excuse for his strange and arguably unnatural behavior, he needed the last final piece of legit information. Information which would not doubt prove that he was hopelessly falling in love with an unlikely person, and he just couldn't admit that for reasons unknown.

For once, their father was home and he had already been at the table eating a light dinner. At noticing Ludiwg pass by the entrance to the kitchen, he called him out and offered some of the meal. But curiously, Ludwig refused quietly and continued to walk through to his room.

Which brings us to Gilbert hastily sneaking up to Ludwig's bedroom door that just closed with a slight sound. His breathing was soft and low as if to not be detected and his footsteps unusually silent. One could feel the immense atmosphere and he would have probably jumped inches in the air had a fleeting, loud noise suddenly blast through the house.

'_Well, he's back in his room again. Looks like he will either be jerking off or resting from all his lovesick-ness today. Now how can I slip inside and inspect the premises?_' Gilbert lowered himself to the floor desperately and looked tried to glance underneath the crack and he was thankful the door didn't reach to the floor all of the way. '_Maybe I can get a good view this way...?_'

Damn, he could hardly see anything that way. And basically lying on the hardwood floor uncomfortably on his side and trying to strain his crimson eyes to look through the crack. The only thing that he could make out was Ludwig's feet pacing in front of the door and he could hear his quiet, muffled curses and something about some guy named Feliciano. And...was that a comment about being lusty his ears made out?

'_Sounds like things are getting good in there. But I told myself that I would use my awesome stalking talents and single-handedly discover what is going on with him! I have to get in there!_' Gilbert growled to himself and attempted to push himself up to his feet.

And then he froze onto his knees when he felt a sudden flurry of wind and heard the door open up. Time froze for him as he slowly looked up to see Ludwig standing in the doorway and returning his gaze with a bewildered look in his eyes.

Yes, that was a bit of an awkward moment. Gilbert wondered if he realized that he had been trying to listen in like the nosy person he is (it wouldn't be the first time), and Ludwig wondered if he had been listening again and overheard him pacing like a truly panicked fool and mentioning how he didn't know what to do about his attraction to Feliciano.

"Gilbert..."

"Hey, West!" Gilbert glanced around, hoping to cover up his real motives for being in this position. Then, he began to brush his hands against the floor as he stared down intently. "Ah...I was just looking for my new contact lenses, you seen them anywhere?"

"Were you listening in again?"

"Pffft- I'm too awesome to go down to those low standards..." Gilbert waved a dismissive hand and pulled himself up to his feet. Seeing that he now had his brother's attention, this may work out after all. "Anyway, the contacts can wait a few minutes. I overheard you complaining about something and I thought maybe we could have a little talk about it."

"You...didn't hear the _topic _did you?" Ludwig asked suddenly, his cheeks began to warm as he realized that if he had overheard his ranting, he may have found out about how he's so stressed out about not being able to confess his feelings for Feliciano of all people.

"Not really...these damn walls aren't that thin." And dammit, he hated thick walls. Because he couldn't hear anyone all that well when he was eavesdropping. But Gilbert didn't add this in, an interested grin contorted across his face as he pushed his brother aside and entered without full permission. "So, why don't we have a nice, long, brother to brother type of conversation?"

"Get out."

"No, no, there is something going on! I won't leave until I find out the truth, so there."  
>"Gilbert, there's nothing to find out. There's nothing going on...I just..." Ludwig's tone lowered and lowered. To the point of which Gilbert could not make out his words clearly. And that sucked for him.<p>

Oh goody, this sounded interesting after all. Gilbert decided upon lying down on Ludwig's bed to hear what he had to say. And he did just that. He lied on his side facing him, expectantly watching his every movement with his gaze.

"Earlier, I was speaking with one of my friends about this problem. It involves Feliciano, actually. Ah...he's...well, I realized..." How the hell could he explain this to Gilbert? The guy just lived to blab out anything secret and there was no doubt he would tell his girlfriend, Elizabeta, whom would tell Feliciano himself...

Damn.

But now that Gilbert was already in here watching him with those deep crimson eyes widening a bit in fascination about what may be said next, did Ludwig really have any way of backing out or at least making a white lie? No, not really. He was screwed.

Sensing his hesitation to go on, Gilbert rolled his eyes and said in a rather pathetic attempt at being supportive, "Just let it all come out, West! I know something's going on in your life, I need to know. More specifically...I _want _to know badly!" He sat up and patted a spot next to him on the once-perfectly made bed as if to gesture for him to come sit next to him.

Ludwig was not going along willingly, of course. It should be mentioned that he hesitated to sit next to him now when he was more than likely planning something. How could he even help him with his problems anyway?

Once he gave up and crossed the room, hesitantly taking a seat in that spot beside his overly-curious brother, Ludwig didn't bother with eye contact. "It's too complicated. And, honestly, I can't really talk about it now..."

"You want to talk about it."

"No, not really..."

"You know I'm right. I am always right!"

"Gilbert, just stop talking."

"Not until you do as I awesomely instruct and say everything that you're trying to bury down." Ludwig turned and finally returned the eye contact, but rather did so with a mildly interested hint in his eyes. And Gilbert decided to go on with this statement, "Any dumbass could figure out that you've been acting really suspicious...I kinda want to know what's happening because as your painfully awesome bruder, that's my role in your life!"

Maybe that mouthful would convince him to finally talk. Gilbert would have been seriously pissed if it didn't. But after a series of long seconds containing awful silence, his younger brother averted his gaze to the wall as if looking into those piercing and curious eyes was too difficult.

"I can tell by all of the signs what's happening. West, you've been even more distant me and Dad than usual, you stay out of the house frequently, take forever getting ready like a freaking girl, your cleaning obsession is really becoming mentally disturbing, I have heard you jerking off in here plenty of times, and not to mention that when I was looking for my _contact lenses_, I heard you say a name..." Did he seriously have to list all of that? Was it that obvious? During Gilbert's teasing pause, Ludwig took the opportunity to get up and walk over to his desk, sighing as he traced over the surface for dust.

"The name of one of Elizabeta's best friends is...Feliciano. And, West, I could have sworn that I heard that particular name from your lips when I was _searching for my contact lenses_." Ah, yes, Ludwig almost froze up completely in the middle of mindlessly cleaning the desk. A perfect sign. Gilbert did not hide his growing smirk as he lied back and went farther, "If I'm not mistaken, Feliciano goes to your school and is in most of your classes. You haven't introduced him to me – I know he would probably just be intimidated by by superiority but still – but you are friends?"

"Bruder..."

"Elizabeta tells me all the time that you two would make a pretty cute couple if you were to try being in a relationship. Honestly, I don't disagree~"

"G-Gilbert..."

"He is also so freaking cute! I've seen him around your school when I was..._passing through in nostalgic circumstances _and happened to get a tiny glimpse at you and him speaking in the halls. There was denying that look in your eyes: that same, betraying look of desire!"

"I don't look at him that way-"

"I told you: there's no denying it." Gilbert just continued to grin, and Ludwig was more than prepared to just punch it off at any time so that he would leave him alone about the topic. "West, West, I am actually surprised you've become so emotional towards this guy! Don't misunderstand me. But now that you're finally fallin' for someone, it's only natural you _admit it_."

What was he trying to imply? There was no doubt that Gilbert really didn't "lose his contact lenses", that was just a pitiful excuse at disguising the fact that he had been listening to him pace and wonder aloud how he could settle everything and maybe get his and Feliciano's relationship back in perspective! And not only that, but he also knew he was cleaning so much to try and let out his frustration and even went as far as to...

_Holy shit._

This was not good now that he thought about it! Gilbert was very much under Elizabeta's spell and the two of them schemed regularly, he would tell her that he was falling for Feliciano, whom was one of her best friends! Through a series of unmentionable events that they would no doubt slyly set up, Feliciano would know how he felt...

Ludwig couldn't tell Feliciano how he felt, not that easily. And certainly not before he knew for sure if his feelings would be returned.

"Gilbert..." Ludwig, whom had suddenly gotten up and began to pace the floor, stopped and turned to look at his awe-struck, obnoxious brother. "Are you trying to say that I really...ah...like one of my own friends that way?"

"It's a likely scenario."

"Do you think...he should know?"

"For the love of God-TELL HIM!"

Ludwig, still wearing a blank face, blinked somewhat at the shouting. He found it to be pretty annoying that Gilbert seemed so determined for things to move along after having "visited" the school to "just happen" to see them together. (Of course, he knew all along that Gilbert was more than likely stalking!)

But maybe, just maybe, he was right...

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

**1( Ludwig and Feliciano are friends. Feliciano's brother is Lovino. Lovino's secret crush (which is discovered in the ending chapters, as you have no doubt seen) is Antonio. Antonio is a friend of Gilbert. Gilbert is Ludwig's brother and his girlfriend is Elizabeta. Elizabeta is one of Feliciano's best friends. See what I did there? Everything all goes around into place that way.**

**2( Originally, I intended for Gilbert to be mostly bi in this fic – dating Elizabeta and wanting to have sex with her throughout, but also showing some iffy interest in Feliciano. This is why he has said such...ambiguous things concerning Feliciano's appearance.**

**I hope you liked the scene, sorry it took so long to publish it. I had to go on a long and winding journey to track down the document it was saved under. ^|||^**

**R&R! The next bonus scene should be up by the end of this week or the next!**


	14. Bonus Scene 4

**I am a little late with publishing this bonus scene...sorry about that. But I hope that you enjoy it all the same. Since you've already seen how their confession went, this scene shows what happened afterward. It shows how extremely weird Ludwig and Feliciano felt afterward, and yet so glad to have said that. But it mostly focuses on Feliciano going back home and having a not-so-brotherly talk with Lovino about it.**

**Technically, if this chapter had been included in the original story after all, this would have marked Lovino's first appearance and it probably would have made more sense. But, oh well. I left it out because my visiting little brother (fifteen now, I guess I can't call him "little" anymore) read over the document by total chance and "wisely" stated it was unnecessary to add it because "This Ludwig dude already talked with his brother, so wouldn't it feel like the story was going in circles if this Feliciano spoke with his brother as well? Of course, I wouldn't know about brotherly talks but still..."**

***Rolls eyes* Know-it-all little brothers... ~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss – The bonus, scrapped scenes**_

_**Scene #4: Lovino Finds Out**_

_**. . .**_

He could barely believe that he was able to say such words, finally come to conclusion that it was hopeless. No matter how hard he tried to fight back and tell himself that Feliciano was a mere friend and nothing more, he would always be sent back to the beginning.

Maybe it was good luck on their side that it happened to rain all of a sudden. Sure, this was the season for it, but there was something...something about it having to pour rain the minute they were down the road at the park, almost about to take such a huge risk for their relationship. Had they not been trapped in the rain underneath that freakishly tall tree, would he have been a coward for once in his life and abort the confession he was going to voice?

God, what a huge relief it was to know that he no longer had to keep this hidden. Feliciano would have certainly noticed his strange way of acting around him, but he knew that it would all have to come from his mouth completely honestly. So no regrets would linger.

When Ludwig decided to do this...he didn't know how Feliciano would react. The fact that he actually came out and told him that he "really, really liked him". That was all he needed to hear. Those words that sounded almost angelic to his ears. It was as if he had been dying to hear them for a long time.

And now, all was as it should be. The rain was beginning to lighten and they still rested underneath the protection of the tree's leaves. And Ludwig just eased his tense muscles as Feliciano comfortably rested his head into his shoulder as he embraced him. There was no point in moving him now, Feliciano tended to never listen anyway.

And if he was finally able to win this mental battle in his head, finally able to tell Feliciano with somewhat ease how he felt, and heard the words that he had wanted to hear pass his lips for a long amount of time...why did he feel the odd sense that something was missing?

What could possibly have been missing? He struggled with how to possibly bring himself to say all of this, he put up with his brother's annoying "advice" and his stalking antics, he finally got his mind made up and said everything word by word. So what was left to do?

Ludwig shifted his eyes to Feliciano's smiling face as he released his hold and then rested his head against his upper arm as he waited for the rain to pass. His gaze zeroed in on his lips as he noticed his tongue briefly come out and softly lick them.

That was when he tensed up with reality crashing down upon him.

Now that they knew how each other felt, there was one key gesture that tended to be exchanged between couples. Wasn't that how it worked? Gilbert never took much time in holding Elizabeta in his arms and basically sucking her face off whether people were still in the room or not. And he claimed from time to time that it felt almost as good as sex itself. Well, this was _Gilbert's words_, and there was no telling how accurate that was.

Kissing was usually reserved for couples, right? From what Ludwig gathered, there was the usual family kiss that meant nothing more than platonic affection, and that weird gesture with kissing other peoples' cheeks, and at long last, you had the regular intimate kiss to express love and whatever else.

Feliciano wouldn't care if he did this...probably not, he was very open and willing when it came to romance. He never once seemed shy about anything like that, and was...was he _ever_ shy?

It must have been nice to be that way. Ludwig remained very uneasy about things like that and he couldn't just rush into anything, it may give off the wrong impression and he couldn't risk that. He also could not risk taking things way too far before they had a chance to establish anything.

Ludwig could barely believe that he was even considering all of this. It didn't seem like he could considering that he was slightly worried things could go wrong. Even though it would be just one little kiss.

Just one kiss...

"Ludwig...you've been silent for a little while." Feliciano's tone brought Ludwig back to reality, he was shocked that it sounded low and laced with confusion and worry. He turned to him, trying to read his facial expression for any emotion. "If this is awkward for you, I understand. It's not like I've been having occasional dreams about something like this happening and I have been really hoping for-"

"No, no it's not like that." Ludwig interjected kind of quickly, meeting Feliciano's open curious eyes and slowly caressing his cheek with a hand. He hadn't a clue as to why he was doing that though... "I mean everything."

"Veee~ and I believe it." Feliciano cuddled closer against his body, eyes fluttering to a close once again. "I guess I was just nervous because it's been awhile since I shared this kind of moment with someone I really cared about. A long time..."

A long time? What could he have possibly meant by that?

"That was the past, this is now, I guess. And I really am relieved that you feel the same way, I may have been seemingly oblivious and uncaring about anything but...well...there were times I didn't know how to tell you this." Feliciano breathed in the misty atmosphere from the rain and Ludwig's scent, the latter of the two bringing him closer and closer and unknowingly sending his heart off into rapid beats.

"Feliciano...do you think that we should take our relationship farther?"

Feliciano immediately pulled away and sat upright against the tree, looking somewhat confused as he met Ludwig's eyes.

Feeling kind of awkward for proposing that sort of offer out of the blue without any warning, Ludwig coughed and tried to collect his thoughts, to put this into better words as he and Feliciano held a gaze. "I mean, I really...it's kind of hard to put into words. We both feel the same way about each other so now, isn't it necessary that we-"

"Ve! You're asking me to be your boyfriend!" Happily cried Feliciano, effectively cutting off Ludwig. Whom stared in surprise by the thrilled reaction, but his face softened a bit nonetheless. "Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yes, actually. But that's if you want to." Ludwig reminded him, knowing very well that regardless of how Feliciano felt about him...he still tended to act in a flirty manner towards other people. Could he commit himself like that?

Feliciano didn't have to think too long about that offer. He knew the answer he wanted to give already, and he could feel the smile returning to his lips as he met Ludwig's eyes again. "Ve~ yes! I want to us to be together, I really think it could work!" He paused for a moment, looking down as an image of his brother wandered into his mind, and then his excitement seemed to wear a bit. "And...there's nothing that could come between us."

Rather than being worried about why he suddenly seemed a bit down, Ludwig understood what must have been on his mind. His slightly older brother Lovino, whom utterly detested him for some reason he still didn't know. And instead of returning the bitterness, Ludwig actually put up with him and didn't take any offense.

Ask him why he didn't take offense, he probably wouldn't have an answer for it. Though Ludwig was sure that it must have been because nobody just detests a person for no reason at all. But in this moment, he didn't question Lovino.

To be honest, he questioned how the hell he managed to be able to indirectly ask Feliciano to be his boyfriend. In fact...he was actually going to ask if this was the moment they should kiss and _then_ get together, because that was how those novels he read worked out. This moment was very thrown off course and not in balance!

But Ludwig could hardly complain at the moment, because he was just relieved Feliciano felt the same way and that he would want to be together like that. What he was searching for here was a simple relationship and he wanted to be together with the hopeless Italian, for as long as they could be without the cruel ways of fate knocking if off balance.

A part of him still wanted that kiss, however. He wondered if Feliciano's lips were as soft and inviting as they were presented. He wondered if he would feel much passion from it. And above all, he wondered if he could do it without cowering down over something so...painfully _simple_.

If he could just find the perfect mood for that kiss. The perfect setting that would fall into place smoothly and wrap up with this gesture. But that would difficult to do at this time, apparently, he would need to research and think this through some more.

Feliciano must have been wonderfully oblivious to his contemplating, he still sat there cuddling his body against Ludwig's for a feeling of warmth and security that he basically craved all the time.

_**. . .**_

"_Ve~ are we going to go on a date then?"_

"_I-if you want to..."_

"_I'd love to!"_

"_Why don't we meet up tomorrow night at my house? My father and annoying brother will be out, so I could make us some dinner and we could relax by the TV together with a movie."_

"_Are you going to make some kind of German dishes?"_

"_Probably, I know many."_

"_Ve..."_

"_Don't be so picky, Feliciano. You need to give other foods besides pasta a chance."_

"_Okay...um...if you're sure it would be tasty..."_

"_If you don't want to, I could just try to make you some pasta."_

"_Veeee~! Thank you so much! We have a date!"_

Feliciano sighed to himself, that same exchanged replaying throughout his head as he strolled down the rain-soaked streets of town. There was a bit of a spring in his step and he wore a typical smile. He didn't even care that the rain was still sprinkling a bit and he could get sick.

Because all that mattered to him was that he finally was able to get it through Ludwig's head that he felt so strongly about him, after all this time of dropping blatant hints and being as clingy as he could manage! Now, everything was perfectly in place, he could recline without having so many worries of how his friend may react if he were to tell him the truth.

And they even had a date for the following night! Now that was certainly a wonderful step in the right direction, but the relationship would be very delicate from here on out...now, he would have to be very _cautious _with approaching Ludwig and he shouldn't try to be too forward to the point of leaving him with more questions. If possible, he had to control himself.

But now wasn't the time to worry about the future! Oh, this was going to be a day that he would never forget easily! And just wait until Elizabeta heard that they finally made that big move! And Kiku, Kiku should know as well!

So lost within the moment, Feliciano couldn't help but hum a little random tune as he arrived on him and his brother's doorstep. He took out his keys and basically burst into the home without much care if Lovino was home and would cuss him out for making such loud noise for no true reason.

The humming didn't cease as Feliciano swayed around as he crossed the room to get to the kitchen arch, he had just about entered when a hand attacked him from nowhere; reaching the back of his blazer and pulling him against the wall.

That was when his happiness came to a crashing halt. Feliciano found himself shoved against the wall and a familiar person standing in front of him with his arms folded against his chest and one evil look flaring in his hazel eyes. There was no doubt this was his older brother, he must have been home from school a while because he was already dressed in casual clothing

And yes, Feliciano new this because he was far too scared of meeting that angry look in Lovino's cold, intimidating eyes.

"Where the fuck have you BEEN?" Lovino growled, not giving his brother to squeak out his answer, he continued on. His tone gradually becoming more and more hostile as he went on. "You never stay out that long, I thought I'd have to go out and search this fucking town myself! Now stop that damn trembling and tell me what you were doing!"

"W-well...I was..." Feliciano tapped his fingers together nervously, looking anywhere but Lovino's scowling face that really shouldn't have that much of an effect but it still does. "That brown shirt looks so good on you, Lovino! Ve~ I love-"

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Lovino extended a hand and grabbed a handful of Feliciano's undershirt, pulling him closer to his face. "Tell me what the hell you were doing or I won't hold back anything! Keep in mind, you're only seeing the mild version of my wrath!"

God knows he really wasn't that strong. Whatever wrath he had at the time was always unleashed in the form of yelling and screaming until he lost his voice and Feliciano was in tears and cowering under his bed sheets. As hard as it was for Lovino to admit, he couldn't really resort to violence even when he wanted nothing more than to do it. Especially in this moment!

Ever since the both of them could remember, the two brothers lived together. They had grown up in Italy, but somehow came all the way here and have been living independently. Feliciano actually managed to make some friends, but Lovino pushed generally everybody that he ever encountered away. The only person that he could 'kind of' handle was Antonio, a Spaniard whom lived a little ways down their street. Seeing as though Lovino was older, he took the liberty of making all the shots and intimidating Feliciano into doing whatever he wanted and listening good, or else he would feel his wrath.

Honestly, Lovino discovered that he was very concerned about who Feliciano was with and where he was all the time. But he would never admit that, not to himself or anyone. He didn't even want to think about that sickening realization. But this was probably because he absolutely hated Ludwig, Feliciano's friend. He hated everything about him and would love it if he just dropped dead anytime soon.

Feliciano could not help but occasionally wonder why he seemed to hate him for no reason, Lovino would never respond and would always change the topic to something irrelevant before huffing and storming back to his bedroom to rant and rave.

"V-ve...I was with, um, Ludwig..." Feliciano stuttered quietly, keeping his gaze as close to the floor as possible. This was getting more and more uncomfortable as the seconds passed and he really didn't know why Lovino had to react this way.

"You were with _him_ again?" Lovino released his grasp of his brother's shirt and took a bit of a shaky step back. Feliciano looked back up, not so surprised to see that his face expression was both disgusted and pissed off. "Why can't you just stay away from that jackass? He's one of the most annoying people I've ever met! The way that he acts so fucking composed like the world is in the palm of his hand!"

"Lovino...he's really not a bad guy at all!" Feliciano spoke up, his tone sounding very sure of himself and not wavering. Lovino paused in his rant and rose an eyebrow as he studied the fond, stupid smile that passed over his lips. "He is so dependable and always helps me out, and even though you bash him constantly even in his presence...Ludwig never acts as if he returns the hate. Whenever I'm around him, I smile and my heart feels-"

"CUT TO THE DAMN CHASE."

"Ve! R-right...ah, he's a good person whether he wants to admit it or not. And he really does care about me, you're not going to believe what he said to be earlier when we were caught out in the rain!" Feliciano's tone gradually became excited and obviously very happy as he clasped his hands together. "I was worried that he wouldn't return my feelings...Elizabeta urged me to tell him how I felt, and I did today. Turns out that Ludwig does return them~! We're going to be going out now~!"

That didn't seem to make Lovino clam down, in fact, he seemed to be even more angry by that revelation and was probably ready to just explode and start cussing him out, screaming his lungs out, and causing such a huge disturbance once again. To the point of the neighbors calling up the authorities, believing that there was some sort of homicidal act going on in there.

Before Feliciano had the chance to go on like he wanted to, Lovino interjected as usual and his voice raised angrily the more that he went on. "What the hell are you thinking?" Feliciano instantly began to tremble as he backed up to the wall again. Wondering what he could have said that set his brother off. "You seriously fell for a bastard like that? Why didn't you _tell _me beforehand?"

"Ve! I knew you would freak out like this!"

"Fuck yes, I'll freak out! I don't understand why you have to fall for the worst people possible!" Lovino's hands clenched to fists as he recalled a memory, and he decided to being this up. Even though Feliciano would probably be overcome with some long-lost recollection, but that would have to happen. "Don't you fucking think things through? Remember the time that you fell for that weird blond kid when you were really young and he left you behind? You cried so long and moped about the house forever!"

Feliciano just shifted a little at the memory, glancing down at the ground and trying not to recall any distant images. He could faintly remember this boy, he acted strange and nervous when around him. And they both fell for each other, the boy discovered that him and his family were moving away and that they probably would never see him again.

The boy had blond hair and blue eyes, that was the only detail that Feliciano could make out. Even though he was very young at the time, he could still think back to moments they shared. And after he left, he tried to remain positive that he could see him again...but eventually became very saddened and, as Lovino described, depressed.

"You never saw him again...if he is even still around, the bastard probably forgot that you exist and all of those childhood memories are probably not important to him whatsoever." Lovino spoke harshly, hoping that this would get through to him. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he was very angry when he found out this story and couldn't believe that Feliciano had been so careless – him being a child was not an excuse for anything. "Even though you're probably over that now, you're going through the same thing again with that bastard your keep hanging around! Seems to be that his appearance is kind of similar to that boy's..."

Feliciano still remained quiet, not trying to defend himself at all. He did, however, look back up when he noticed that Lovino gasped and he leaned closer to his face as if to be intimidating.

"Dammit, you better not be falling in love with this bastard just because of any stupid and ridiculous childhood memories, Feliciano! I am telling you the truth: he's only going to turn his back on you one day when he knows that you're completely blinded by emotions, and he will leave you with harsh words burned into your memory and a broken heart!"

"Fratello..."

"There's never any happy endings in life. People never..." For a very long second, Feliciano noticed some emotions drifting through Lovino's eyes as he suddenly paused. He almost looked very affected by something either that he said or realized.

To ensure that he hadn't been caught, Lovino backed away from his cornered brother and turned away, glancing at the floor in embarrassment. How could he have possibly started thinking about himself and people now? He was supposed to be pissed off at Feliciano's love life, damn it!

"Just try to be smart for once, _catch your fucking self _before you fall too far. That's the only way to save yourself from some more depression in your life, and I'm not saying this because I care or anything!" If Lovino had been looking directly at Feliciano, he probably would have seen him open his eyes enough to blink in confusion. His hands began to tremble a bit, and he could feel heat burning through his cheeks. "N-now just fix some dinner, I'm fucking starving..."

"Okay...?" Feliciano glanced around, almost paranoid before taking a step closer to Lovino. He sighed a little, the impact of his words beginning to affect him a little. "Ve...before I make some dinner, Fratello, do you really believe that Ludwig would trick me like that? Do you really think that I will end up sad when this is all over?"

"Hell yes," Lovino sharply turned around, huffing and folding his arms over his chest. "Just take all of that as a warning, and don't let me _ever_ see you and him together because I swear I'll lose it and get out a pistol or something!"

Feliciano nodded, faking out his pissed off brother that he actually accepted this. Because he really didn't underneath it all, and the Italian usually wondered if he would ever get to have a normal relationship with him. It seemed like Lovino just loved to be in control and always calling the shots, seemingly not giving a damn about what he thought.

Lovino proceeded to go back to his room, and Feliciano watched from afar until he was out of his sight. He sighed again and went into the kitchen to prepare some dinner, any energy and bubbly happiness from the earlier confessions probably near drained. But he couldn't let this be noticed, he just had to force a smile and bear with it.

It's not like he could change Lovino's mind. That being established already, Feliciano wanted everyone to be able to get along well. This would not happen, not when his brother was so sure that their relationship would not work out, and he would wind up with heartbreak over anything. Lovino probably wouldn't be there to wipe any tears or provide a shoulder, he would be too busy yelling at him and pointing out that he did warn him and he just didn't believe it.

Still...deep down, Feliciano was very sure that Ludwig would not do that. He seemed to really feel something for him, those earlier words proved it. The undisguised sincerity he managed to pick out from the subtext was amazing. Even if Lovino did not approve, they would still be able to have a successful relationship that would last a while. They would always be close and there would be no obstacles in the way of things.

In fact, as Feliciano began to get out some ingredients and prepare some food, restraining a dreamy smile was a brutal challenge. His mind went straight to how comfortable he felt when in Ludwig's arms and how his heart missed a few beats when he looked into those eyes. Even after all of that previous drama and harsh words that has been thrown upon him, he still couldn't get Ludwig off his mind.

To top things off, he also found himself wondering randomly if he was a pretty good kisser. Just for...ahem, anything that may happen in the future.

If you know what we mean.

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

**1( Lovino is such a cockblock.**

**2( Does everyone get the whole reference with Feliciano and that un-named boy from his childhood. Does ANYONE get it? :)**

**3( The confrontation scene was a bit hard to write, I didn't know how exactly to have Lovino yell at Feliciano. And I didn't know if I should have included the above reference or not. But I suppose, in hindsight, it turned out fine.**

**4( I may ask my brother for more writing tips in the future now that I think about it after all this time. LOL. He would be so annoyed by that. LMAO.**

**Well, the next bonus scene should be up soon. I am sorry for the wait, but I have had been sick and then I needed to catch up on chapters! I almost forgot that I had yet to find and publish this chapter that didn't make the final cut! I hope that you will continue to keep an eye out for the next one, that one will include one of Ludwig and Feliciano's other failed attempts to kiss!**

**Read and review!**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**


	15. Bonus Scene 5

**Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a bit late with publishing this bonus scene. I was going to search through my many documents so that I could attach it with the rest, and then my phone rang and the caller was my dad. We talked for awhile and then I had to go out and buy some stuff. I returned home, only to get distracted and start downing coffee and reading some Bakuman manga since it was nighttime and had nothing else to do that day. And when I was going to FINALLY look for the document, I noticed I had a new e-mail and it was one of my friends, Mackenzie...**

**You get the point?**

**But anyway, here it is! This was one of Ludwig and Feliciano's more important attempts to kiss, it takes place during the time that the latter was staying at his boyfriend's house for the night (Lovino was fuming about something that Antonio did to him, although he still was highly pissed by the fact his brother was going out with one of the 'worst guys possible'). It was set when Feli exchanged goodbyes and everyone tried to forget about the awkward moment the previous night...with a lot of sexual tension.**

**Drum roll please...? *I run over to a set of drums and perform the mentioned drum roll yes, I can play the drums***

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss – the bonus, scrapped scenes**_

_**Scene #5: The Morning After**_

_**. . .**_

When Ludwig awoke the next morning, it must have been somewhere close to six. He lifted his head off the pillow and his eyes slowly blinked to clear his blurred vision. The previous night was a bit embarrassing and awkward, considering that he had failed a number of times to kiss his boyfriend, Feliciano insisted upon sleeping with him – in a non sexual manner mind you, his porn fetish was discovered, and then Elizabeta and Gilbert had to kill the mood.

Just thinking about this made him want to collapse back into the pillow and not even bother to leave the room to see either of them. Especially Feliciano. There was no telling what the hell he thought about him now. Even if it would be simple to convince his bedfellow that they shouldn't speak of anything that happened last night ever again, and it was all just a wacky dream to ignore.

Feliciano would buy that, nevertheless, Ludwig would not be able to live that one down. Not with his brother in his life. If Gilbert didn't ever go to college or at least move out of the house, he would have to consider finding his own place on some other district of town – which did seem appealing the longer that he thought of it.

Last night, Feliciano asked if it was possible to stay over at his place. For reasons that he didn't go into much detail with, his brother was furious about something and he didn't want to face his wrath. Ludwig had naturally agreed to this, but he didn't know that having him at his house would begin to feel awkward with his brother and his Hungarian girlfriend around to mess up any mood going on or provide intentional mortification.

Apparently from Gilbert's side of the story, Elizabeta didn't feel like being home alone since her mother was on some trip for a few days. Having glanced through her contacts, she noticed that Gilbert would gladly allow her to spend the night. Knowing him, he'd probably try to advance upon her in a sexual way...which was true of course and the awesome guy didn't bother to insist otherwise. Neither expected Ludwig and Feliciano to return together...

It didn't help that Feliciano and Elizabeta were close friends. Anything that was said to one of them, would be told to the other. Didn't really matter what the circumstances were. And although the brothers liked the fact that their respective love interests got along, it proved to make for a hell of a lot of mayhem most of the time.

Last night, he had tried to bring himself to initiate a kiss. But they either didn't go through all the way or were aborted immediately after the thought entered his mind. And then, things got even more awkward by the previously stated events.

If he could, he would seriously slam his head against a brick wall multiple times over. Hoping for brain damage. This entire situation was extremely frustrating and it was really getting to him. All over a simple kiss that he wanted to go smoothly _without _these annoying cockblocks that fate seemed to be punishing him with.

Was a simple little kiss too much to ask for? Apparently.

Ludwig finally found the will to throw back the covers and try to get out of the bed. And that probably would have gone well if it wasn't for Feliciano still sleeping soundly and clinging to him either intentionally or unintentionally. He stared for a moment, just trying to figure out how he could make it out the right way without disturbing his bedfellow. Feliciano was known to be one hell of a sleeper, he slept late often and when possible; took naps during the daytime.

As apposed to himself: Ludwig never failed to go to bed early and rise early. And if that pattern was disrupted, the day was wasted and what could be salvaged was no longer useful. That was just the way it went around here.

Feliciano managed to end up reclining his head against his upper torso, looking rather peaceful as he snuggled up. His arms were loosely sprawled over his chest and his legs over his and their skin brushed in soft way that made him feel like the room was on fire about to burn down.

This was a bit of an interesting position to be in. He needed to get up and out of the bed, to start the day. And Feliciano couldn't just sleep here all day because they had school in only two hours.

If he disturbed him, he may end up in a position even more awkward and unfortunately suggestive. Ludwig didn't even want to imagine what his brother or his brother's girlfriend walked in and noticed their position. After that confrontation the previous night, how could he assure them that there was nothing sexual going on and nothing had happened at that time either.

To try and make sure that he didn't disturb the sleeping Italian too much, Ludwig was going to just carefully slip out from underneath, make it quick and almost silent as to not get trapped any more or provoke a whine of protest and never get him out of his bed.

Ludwig knew that he slept heavily anyway, so he gently wriggled his legs out from underneath Feliciano's even though he missed the warmth they gave him, and reached for his arms over his chest. Once touching his arms, he slowly let his fingers trial up and down as if to tickle, that made the Italian smile (in his sleep?) and for an instant...his arms lifted. That gave Ludwig the chance to slip out.

And once standing on the cold wooden flooring, free from that clingy Feliciano he put up with out of his persistent feelings, Ludwig took a last glance at the scene before gathering some fresh clothes and walking into his bathroom to get ready for the day.

_**. . .**_

When Elizabeta woke up...she expected to see her boyfriend's living room. Elizabeta intended to stay over at the house that night and even went as far as to take a few toiletries, a nightgown, and a fresh set of everyday clothes. Her mother was gone on a trip for a few days and she didn't want to be alone after all. She knew that Gilbert would probably let her stay, she didn't mind his lusty advances lately and she found it almost amusing and kind of flattering. But just to see how far he would go, she decided to be as much of a tease and be as unreachable as possible.

She didn't expect to awaken in Gilbert's room. In his bed with him. Lying on her side and snuggling into a loose embrace.

Green eyes immediately shot open, all blurriness and grogginess forgotten. "GILBERT...!"

"WHAT?" Gilbert all but screeched, bolting upright into a sitting position staring with widened eyes. He was panting afterward, not expecting to awaken to the sound of someone screaming his name (well, actually, he would have rather had Elizabeta scream his name in _pleasure _and not _horror_).

Elizabeta sat up as well, still meeting Gilbert's bewildered gaze and feeling her cheeks burn through and probably set ablaze if this awkwardness lasted.

"Why...why am I in your bed?" Elizabeta merely asked, her tone obviously pointing out her horror but it was still awkward. She needed answers, considering that she didn't remember ever deciding to sleep with him in a non sexual way mind you. "Last night, I would have used the guest room but I couldn't find it. And I decided to rest on the couch. WHY AM I HERE?"

Gilbert merely smirked and was about to reply, but that was when Elizabeta put on her pissed off expression and threw the covers back, leaning over to glare into those gleaming crimson eyes that drove her crazy. "If you try and tease me by claiming that we had some of that beer you store up and had drunken sex, you are so going to wake up tomorrow at the hospital in a body cast with no memory."

"Ah, Lizzy," Elizaveta's expression faltered a bit, her eyes darting around and her cheeks growing hot and red as his arms reached around her slender torso and pulled her closer. "You really take the fun out of these kinda moments! If you want the, tch, truth...you were sleeping like a damn rock so I carried you up here to get more comfortable, okay?"

Oh God, Elizabeta hated to admit it when she started to fall under the self-proclaimed awesome guy's spell that he knew he had on her. To make her heart flutter and her lips be a traitor and form a smile even when ultimately radiating rage. She was pulled closer to his bare chest. It was almost awkward considering that he was only wearing a pair of red boxers and she wore a short pale green nightgown. Almost felt like post-sex in a way.

But she was positive they didn't do anything beyond the cuddling in their sleep. If they had, all clothes would be in the corner ripped to shreds and her insides and outsides would be killing her from his rough and wild way he claimed he always liked to do it with her (yeah, they did it a few times before. And they haven't in months, which is why Gilbert was dying to get some again).

"Now then," Gilbert paused to get a quick kiss on her unsuspecting lips, before his hands went downward to the hem of her nightgown. "It's only six in the morning. The walls aren't that thin. Dad, West, and that cute little Italian will be outta the house soon. Let's do some foreplay."

"Gilbert!" Elizabeta's hands immediately swatted her boyfriend's away and he looked into her eyes with a highly disappointed expression going on. "Look, I can't even begin to think about sex at the moment! I'm too busy thinking about your brother and Feliciano's relationship..."

"God, who cares about them now?" Gilbert leaned in and stole another kiss, biting her lip purposely afterward. He liked to be rough, Elizabeta honestly grew to find the pain alluring...but now wasn't the time for that. "Why don't we focus on _our relationship _that seems to have but put on a fucking _hiatus_!"

"Why are you shouting?"

"They're together! Yeah, it's so UN-AWESOME for 'em to be so hesitant about making out with Feli and after last night...probably didn't get beyond foreplay with him! Clothes probably never hit the floor..."

"So you agree that there needs to be some older, more experienced people to interfere and help get them beyond this milestone?"

"Normally, I would be all for it! But, Lizzy, you know you like it when I fuck you...you can't stop thinking about it..." Elizabeta rose an eyebrow as Gilbert laughed obnoxiously and looked upward at the ceiling, not bothering to hide a wicked smirk. "Last night, I awoke briefly to feel you moving around fast...tossing and turning and wriggling. Calling out; 'Gilbert~! Gilbert, ooooh~! Don't...ah...faster, harder, dammit, you better do it now before I-'"

_SMACK!_

All that Gilbert knew at that moment was that he was sitting there dazed, rubbing his stinging cheek. Elizabeta was still sitting there glaring, her face bright red, and rubbing her throbbing hand.

"That," Elizabeta stated in a lowered, dead serious tone of voice, "Doesn't leave this room and won't be mentioned to anyone else."

_**. . .**_

Sunlight was beginning to peak through the window of Ludwig's bedroom and into Feliciano's face. The Italian shifted a little, first onto his left side and then his back. But eventually, he raised his head, having been brought from his peaceful rest. He yawned and stretched his limp arms above his head.  
>"Ve~ That was some strange dream." Feliciano said, basically to nobody as he hadn't noticed the other side of the bed wasn't occupied anymore. "Ludwig, <em>why<em> did you need such graphic porn in my dream when all you had to do was think of me when-" Randomly, Feliciano's gaze flicked to the other side of the bed and he fully realized he was alone and the side was made up perfectly. He tilted his head to the side.

A bit confused, Feliciano adjusted his body out from the tangled mess of blankets and sheets and glanced over at an alarm clock that was on Ludwig's side of his bed.

_7:44 AM._

"I never usually wake up this early..." Feliciano muttered to himself. Oh well. He shrugged his shoulders and tossed back the covers, shamelessly walking totally naked across the room (the window was like, open a good ways and it wasn't like their street was never bustling), he went over to the bathroom door and opened it up as he remembered he was still at Ludwig's home.

He pulled the door open and looked in curiously to see that Ludwig was brushing his teeth rather intently. But, like everything else, Feliciano dismissed this as his characteristic of being a little too passionate about hygiene and cleanliness and stuff like that. His boyfriend was already dressed in the school's uniform. He wore a casual long-sleeved white shirt underneath a blue blazer. He wore blue seemingly checkered slacks and nice black shoes. As usual, his messy blond hair was slicked back out of his face making his gaze seem even more sharper when he stares right into your soul. Must have already woken up, showered and dressed without alerting him.

Feliciano quietly strolled over to Ludwig and embraced him from behind, causing the taller guy to freeze up and stare when he noticed the mirror revealing his presence. "Ve~ good morning."

Ludwig spat out the toothpaste into the skin, washed off the brush, and cleaned his mouth with a towel Feliciano had grabbed and offered him. "Why are you awake so early?"

"I didn't feel much warmth and it was kind of lonely..." Feliciano sighed sadly, recalling the feeling. He didn't like to be alone for too long, but he felt like himself now that he was around Ludwig.

"Considering what happened last night, I didn't want to wake you." Ludwig placed the towel back on the rack and turned to Feliciano. "What time is is, Feliciano?"

"Ah...maybe somewhere close to eight?"

"WHAT?"

_**. . .**_

Elizabeta exited the main bathroom fully dressed in her favorite green sweater, tight dark blue capri pants, she still wore her socks only on her feet because she didn't want to drag any filth into the house since she was informed Ludwig was the one who was always cleaning and ensuring with odd passion that he didn't want it to be all for nothing.

She had finally convinced Gilbert that they would have sex another time, and to get out of bed and get some freaking clothes on already. He was still in his room carelessly tossing clothes around and making a mess of things as he found something clean to wear and then step into a hot shower afterward.

With her clothes tucked in the bag she had slung over her shoulder, Elizabeta prepared to take a few steps down the hall and downstairs to sneak a little something to eat before she went out into town and picked up the weekly groceries. However, she happened to bump into a frantic Ludwig and a groggy and naked Feliciano.

"Elizabeta, you're still here..." Elizabeta adjusted the strap over her shoulder, gazing at the couple awkwardly. She was smiling in a friendly manner, but she inwardly wasn't sure how to talk with them after that little scene last night. "Uh, good morning."

"Yes, good morning. I was just about to snatch something to snack on before taking this bag home and then going out for groceries. Shouldn't you guys be at the school...and fully clothed?" Elizabeta met Feliciano's gaze, holding back a little chuckle. She had seen him naked plenty of times, and he had seen her once or time. Between them, it really didn't matter anymore.

"He, uh, left his clothes in the guest room." Ludwig explained, clearing his throat and dragging Feliciano by the arm around Elizabeta in their path. He hoped that his eyes weren't giving away any emotion and his face wasn't quite as red and hot as he assumed.

"I see..." Ludwig dragged Feliciano with him, whom simply smiled back at his friend. Elizabeta could only roll her eyes and wave them off, before walking back down the hall. "And good luck with getting Feliciano ready to go anywhere in a hurry, Ludwig."

_**. . .**_

It was a good thing that Feliciano hadn't really changed from his school uniform the night before. Before he went to bed that night, Ludwig gave him permission to wash his shirt and blazer which had gotten ruined during that failed attempt at kissing him. It came out, but Ludwig still wanted to facepalm for what he had accidentally done with that milkshake. Maybe if he hadn't been so panicked about kissing him or maybe...maybe if Gilbert hadn't called at a not so good time, he could have...

Anyway, so Feliciano got dressed and brushed his tangled mess of hair and they both hurried out of the house without getting a chance to stop for a quick breakfast. The school was a bit of a distance downtown, and Ludwig's father had already taken the car for work. So they had no choice but to walk fast.

In the present, Ludwig dragged Feliciano by the wrist with him. The Italian's pace couldn't match up to his and he didn't seem quite as worried making it to school on time for some bizarre reason. Well, maybe it was due to the fact that Ludwig always arrived with time to spare and he hated to break records like that, a bit a little quirk that he couldn't control.

Feliciano's stomach began to growl. He glanced downward and rubbed a hand over it as he was dragged along. His breath was beginning to hitch because he couldn't run, not on an empty stomach at least. He thought for a moment, and then stopped walking altogether.

Ludwig stopped as well, he turned to him with a confused expression. "Feliciano?"

"I can't...I can't walk any more. We're already in the middle of town, can we just stop for something to eat?" Feliciano pleaded, his eyes even opened and stared into Ludwig's soul. Causing his boyfriend to freeze and look downward at the ground, blushing faintly. "Please?"

"We're late enough as it is, Feliciano. Can't you just wait?"

"Ve~ Maybe..." Once again, his stomach was a traitor. Feliciano's lips curved to a shy smile as he looked back at him.

With a sigh, Ludwig released his wrist and resisted the urge to check the time with his phone. It was probably late enough now and stopping to eat would waste more time. But...now that he thought about it, he was hungry as well and wouldn't be able to focus much with his stomach growling constantly.

They were in the middle of town, where there were some local appealing places to eat. Some weren't open yet, others were. And it just happened that Feliciano's favorite place had just opened twenty minutes ago. So they chose this establishment.

Strange enough, as time passed, Ludwig didn't feel as concerned about getting to the school on time. In fact, he almost didn't give a fuck after he and Feliciano got their food and were leaving the place. It was almost like...Feliciano had some sort of strange effect on him. Whatever it was, he couldn't help but feel a strange feeling well in his chest after seeing the Italian smile and babble about how great the meal was.

It had to be around eleven-something by the time Ludwig and Feliciano arrived at the doors. And considering how there was really no one wandering the halls yet, the next class of the day probably wasn't finished yet. And they missed at least two.

But Feliciano couldn't complain. He smiled and glanced down at his hand interlocked with Ludwig's as they made their way through the halls. When they arrived at a corner on the second floor, before getting close to the math room, he refused to let their hands separate.

"Wait, Ludwig." Feliciano had said to him, lowering his voice. Ludwig blinked, confused as to why he wasn't intended to let go so they could hurry up into class before noon. "Ve~ I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Can it wait? We have to get to class before people start to think we ditched today; it would be strange to see that two guys with an unusual and ambiguous friendship are absent."

"I know...but there wasn't much conversation at the restaurant and I wanted to be able to talk about this sooner or later."

He seemed a little less happy-go-lucky, and for a moment, Feliciano seemed to slightly worried about whatever he wanted to talk about. There were few times Ludwig or anyone in general would see him this way...so what could he do?

Ludwig did the obvious thing. He asked, purposely lowering his voice as well in case Feliciano wanted the discussion on the down low "What is it, Feliciano? Is there something bad going on in your life?" Feliciano looked away for a moment, and Ludwig was sure he couldn't have possibly found the announcement board and water fountain that engrossing. He offered the slightest smile possible and slipped Feliciano's hand inside of his, interlocking them again. "Come on, I don't mind listening."

"Well, it's just...something that happened between me and Fratello yesterday. I kind of told him about us..."

"You told him that we...?"

"Yes, yes I did. And I thought he'd understand considering how we all know he secretly feels about that Antonio guy." Feliciano shook his head and then set his gaze back on the floor and shuffled his feet. He wasn't sure how he would be able to tell Ludwig about the disapproval he received in response. Or the things that had been harshly stated. "Ve, he wasn't understanding at all and he was just so..."

"Feliciano," Feliciano quietly held back some tears, he wondered why he had to cry right now. But Ludwig came closer and offered himself to embrace upon noticing the mood shift. The sobbing Italian wasted no time in coming closer and slipping underneath his arms. "Feliciano, there is no reason to cry right now. It doesn't matter what Lovino says, he always has hated me anyway."

"He doesn't want us to be together..."

"I saw this coming, but I'm not worried about him. He can't do anything major."

"Ve?"

Ludwig glanced away, blushing slightly and hardly believing that he was saying all of this in school of all places. Anyone could overhear and that would be a bit embarrassing considering how no one other than Kiku, Alfred, Lovino, and Gilbert and Elizabeta knew (even though they didn't attend this school anymore since they were supposed to be out in college, they still dropped by and hung around for no true purpose).

"What I'm trying to tell you is that there's no reason to worry. Lovino doesn't approve, but he doesn't have to know everything that goes on." Those words managed to help Feliciano gather his once-shattered smile and put it back on. One eye flickered open briefly as he wiped it free of the tears beginning to run. "Even if he ever did forbid us to see each other, I'm sure that we would find a loophole somewhere. After all, ah, isn't that how it goes?"

"Ve~ of course! Haha~ I don't know what came over me there..." Up front, it seemed that Feliciano was back to his old cheerful and kind of oblivious self. Mainly, it was a bit of an act for Ludwig at the moment.

Feliciano knew that he shouldn't have been concerned about what would happen to their relationship. Just like Ludwig said, they would be able to find a way out and maybe Lovino wouldn't be that much of an obstacle. But his fratello still occasionally worried him deep down even though he liked having at least one family member in his life. He also knew that he should stop recalling the moment yesterday of that boy from the past. For some reason, Ludwig's blue eyes locked on him filling with the emotion that he reserved for him only and didn't dare reveal by looks or actions, he was overcome with a sudden image of him.

But it faded fast. When another thought hit Feliciano's mind and was successful in stealing his focus. A thought that Ludwig shared at the exact second.

'_This could be the perfect chance to kiss._'

And why wouldn't it be? Here they were in a little corner totally alone, meeting eyes and in a loose and comfortable embrace together. And since they were getting a bit antsy about initiating the first kiss, the big one that would set off hopefully many more in their relationship, this would make the moment more memorable.

Here they were and the time was ticking. It seemed that they were almost aware that the same thought was passing into their train of thought right then. A bit strange, but it was quite true.

Feliciano was the first to move in, he unconsciously lifted himself up on the tips of his toes and, with his eyes opening momentarily to reveal the emotion in them and his smile becoming mildly suggestive to a degree, this caught Ludwig by surprise as he realized just what he was planning.

But he didn't mind. Ludwig took the hint and pressed Feliciano closer to the corner of the wall, it felt as though his body was moving of it's own accord as his lips got increasingly closer to his boyfriend's. This was it, he thought, he would finally get to kiss him after so much anxiety and panic of how it would go. After the embarrassing failed attempts.

There was no miscalculating this time.

There was no one to ruin the moment.

Gilbert was luckily back at the house.

And Ludwig had a clumsy, annoying, cute, Italian that drove him so crazy both intentionally and unintentionally pressed against a wall corner. With the emotions flying right then, there was no reason for him to _not _take a chance and do this.

_RIIIIIING!_

_SLAM!_

During the time that the bell began to ring as sharp as ever, and the door to the classroom slam open and have people exiting gladly to get to the lunchroom, Ludwig instantly reeled himself back and tried to save face as curious eyes began to settle on their position. Feliciano noticed they hadn't kissed yet, and he released a silent sigh before coming out from the wall corner.

That failed.

Lovino, whom had been in the crowd of students leaving, had stopped only to glare in disapproval at what he had just gotten a mild glimpse of. Alfred, whom had been chatting with Arthur as he was leaving (something about movies and going as a couple, in case anyone gives a fuck about that) had stopped long enough to smirk upon meeting Ludwig's flustered expression. And Kiku, Kiku was indifferent although he did decide to walk up to them and inquire about some things.

Feliciano acted as if nothing had happened, and greeted Kiku normally as he always did. But in the back of his mind, he knew that he was very disappointed the kiss ended up as a fail attempt since the bell rung and they suddenly had an audience. He could make a mental note that Ludwig was too flustered to initiate a kiss in front of others. Well, at least that was good to remember.

Secretly paying attention to the slight tension in the air, Kiku decided that he shouldn't prompt them about what they were doing so soon. "Ah...where have you been?"

"Ve~ well, last night, I stayed over at Ludwig's home because Lovino was all pissed off about something again. We woke up and got ready for school a bit late and we couldn't take a car. So, we walked and I got hungry...but the food that we had was good anyway."

"The point is," Ludwig interjected, keeping a straight face as he met Kiku's all-too knowing gaze that had turned to him. He knew that Kiku had nothing against them taking the relationship a step forward, but he seemed to be a little too approving if you know that we mean. "We arrived _extremely late_ as you can see."

"I enjoyed it, actually." Feliciano had to comment with a bubbly giggle as if he loved adding that. It wasn't done without reason, he liked seeing Ludwig briefly turn red and avert his gaze hopefully un-noticeably, he thought it was cute. "As long as we're together, time just flies away!"

"That's good." '_Ah! The relationship is working after all, how good to know..._'

"So, how was class today?"

Kiku glanced back at the classroom for some reason, as if a bit paranoid or expectant for something or someone. But he finally returned to gazing back at his general friends. "You really didn't miss much today. A quiz, some reviews of previous lessons, and Alfred was very loud and kept making attempts to engage in conversation with me."

"Wow! You really attract a lot of guys, Kiku!" Feliciano commented in awe, he never fully realized how much of a magnet his friend was towards the guys. First Yao, and Heracles, then Sadik, and finally Alfred (although his advances were obviously platonic).

"Uh...yes, that is true." Kiku blushed in record time, he never failed to get really uncomfortable when this was brought up in conversation. Although Ludwig noticed and tried to be a little less direct, Feliciano loved to bask in awe of it. "Ahem, it's still nice to see that your relationship is working."

"Ve~ of course it is! Ludwig let me stay at his house last night because my fratello was angry about something, I think it's going to be a great year ahead of us now what we know how we both feel." Feliciano beamed as if there was nothing wrong with the world. He then laughed in a typical carefree manner as me met Kiku's gaze. "Kiku, you need to find someone special too. I know that Alfred is always flirting with Arthur, Yao is openly with that scary Russian guy, but you seem to be conflicted between Sadik and Heracles."

"Um...I wouldn't say 'conflicted'..." Kiku's face flooded with heat and was quick to turn red as he noticed the floor was suddenly very interesting.

This was when Ludwig decided to enter the conversation. He didn't mind indirectly joining Feliciano in on making Kiku flustered about the love triangle topic. It seemed as though the usually-emotionless Japanese student had unknowingly gotten himself into a bit of a predicament after hanging out with the two rivals alone on separate occasions that always led to some mild flirtation and comments from the Greek and Turk that could be considered suggestive more or less.

"You might want to walk away, fast." Ludwig stated. The comment seemed random, until he gestured towards the stairs and Feliciano and Kiku noticed a certain determined person walk up them whilst calling out the reserved Japanese student's name repeatedly. "He's coming for you again."

"It's not that I wish he would be out of my life, but I can't stand being a part of a love triangle when I don't even know..." The voice of his admirer grew closer, Kiku began to inwardly panic and his eyes widened a little as he looked back at his friends. "I'm going to go hide in the bathroom, tell Sadik I _moved back to Tokyo_."

"We can do that~!" Feliciano mentioned bubbly. Kiku released a small and quiet sigh before hurriedly walking off to the bathroom on that floor of the building.

This left Ludwig and Feliciano alone...for a few seconds until Sadik went up to them and asked quickly where Kiku was. Seeing as though Kiku didn't seem to want to endure his flirtation at the time, Feliciano took his plea and tried to think of a little white lie (telling him that he moved back to his home country would be a bit hard to backup, duh).

As Feliciano seemed to not mind the mood switch, Ludwig was inwardly annoyed with himself for letting another great moment slip from his grasp. All was going so unexpectedly great, and he was sure that he was pumped up and ready for the kiss. Damn that school bell, damn that thing to hell.

Well, that may have failed like every other attempt...but as Ludwig looked over at his boyfriend smiling a bit forcefully as he tried his best to not give away Kiku's real location to an interrogating Sadik, he knew that the next time would certainly not be ruined.

All he had to do was calculate everything to a T. Oh yes, there was doubt that _anyone _or _anything _would stand in the way!

_**To Be Continued**_

_**. . .**_

**1( Skipping school with that special someone is fun. I have, admittedly, done that years ago and that memory gave me inspiration for the focus of the parts with Ludwig and Feliciano.**

**2( After seeing your friend naked a few times, you get used to seeing him/her being dragged through the hallway of his/her boyfriend/girlfriend's home to get some clothes. This was nothing new for Elizabeta, although her yaoi senses were just as tingly as ever from the little scene the previous night.**

**3( Poor Gilbert remains defeated in his attempts to get Elizabeta in bed. I have to admit, my favorite part to write was the part with him and her awakening in bed together with so much UST. Although it was awkward to have my little brother look over my shoulder while I was typing and try to give me pointers. HE'S FIFTEEN FOR GOD'S SAKE! HOW WOULD HE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WRITING WELL? (Rant over)**

**4( The whole Sadik/Kiku/Heracles triangle...is reaching it's conclusion. We know that Kiku and Heracles went out to the movies in one chapter, and it's kind of implied that he got together with one of his pesky admirers by the ending. So who did Kiku choose? More specifically, who do YOU think he chose? *She likes both GreecexJapan and TurkeyxJapan***

**Read and review!**

**~Your very late updater, MidnightSakuraBlossom**


	16. Bonus Scene 6

**This bonus scene obviously doesn't focus on Ludwig and Feliciano. That's a shock! Actually, this scene is about the whole Sadik/Kiku/Heracles triangle that appeared and was heavily mentioned during the story.**

**I originally had this in the draft, the reason was for a break away from the main problems and let the focus fade out from the drama to show that interesting stuff was happening elsewhere too. But it was taken out of the final cut because I changed my mind. Nevertheless, here it is left intact just as it had been.**

**The reason it took so long to publish this one was because it took me forever to get to hunt it down and then proofead myself. StormofyourDestiny had been living it up in town while I did college work, paid bills, and nearly got fired from my job. -_-'**

**Enjoy~**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

**Just One Kiss – the bonus, scrapped scenes**

**Scene #6: Three Is A Crowd**

_**. . .**_

"_Kiku would never want to go anywhere with you, asshole!"_

"_What makes you think that?"_

"_There's no good qualities about you whatsoever: you're lazy, you have no motivation for life, you're obsessed with cats, and you can never decide if you want short and straight or long and curly hair!"_

"_Kiku always prefers to go to places with me, Sadik. He likes cats too, he never bothers me when I fall asleep, he even claims that he _admires _my ever-changing hair."_

"_Asshole, you can't shove all that into his mouth! Kiku knows that he can't resist _me_! Whether he wants to admit that or not!"_

_Kiku just sat by the side of the street petting a stray kitty curled beside him as Heracles and Sadik argued behind him. His expression had been one of concern at first, before turning expertly blank and emotionless. Now his lids shut closed tightly and he could feel himself getting a headache._

_It seemed like these moments always happened every time he got spotted by either Heracles or Sadik. There was no secret that they both had massive crushes on him, and their already-existing rivalry only heated up more as time went on and they became near obsessed with winning him over. Kiku wanted it to be less known around here, he wasn't good with handling so much attention and couldn't stand being a hot topic all over._

_He didn't know how he could resolve this. Kiku never actually thought about who he liked more than just...well, something of a friend. There was no way he could even get it through his head without becoming very flustered and speechless with himself for thinking such things._

_Right now, in this moment, the only person who he sided with was the cute, fluffy white kitten crawling into his lap and rubbing it's head against his chest. Kiku assumed that it was some stray that followed Heracles around. Whatever the chase, he named it Hikari._

That was one of several times Heracles and Sadik bickered about whom would win him over. It didn't matter what he said, neither bothered to listen in those moments because of the fire raging between them. What caused all of this to be near unbearable was the fact _he_ was the target.

Kiku didn't even want to be in the middle or be the topic of their bickers. He just wanted them to know where he stood, and where he thought they should stand too. Nothing would ever make them close to friends, anything would help to make them stop being so hostile.

Every time Kiku would pass someone in school, he could feel most eyes fall to him and hear the murmuring and or soft chuckles that dared to break out like a horrible disease. At first, he would just flee immediately to be in solace and compose himself. Now he just didn't pay them any attention, leaving his gaze on the floor as a wave of embarrassment overcame him. Now, he knew that he would have to end all of this insanity.

And the only way was to choose between them. To finally make them shut the hell up.

Having no idea how to confront them, Kiku decided it was best to gradually let the plan come to mind. It was sometime in the afternoon when he went outside school grounds during lunch and rested against a tree. Perhaps gazing up at the nice scenery would put him in a calm state and provide the energy to figure out how to settle the love triangle he unwittingly got wrapped inside of.

The tree was large, Kiku rested his head against the trunk underneath all of the leaves falling from the breeze and scattering about the green, ankle-length grass. The sky was relatively clear today, with the exception of some white clouds floating in front of the sun and blocking light briefly.

Alone, this scene was almost too calming. Kiku could feel the urge to sleep overcome him. But he couldn't possibly do that in the middle of the day, although it was very appealing due to not getting much rest at night with Heracles and Sadik, not to mention Alfred, randomly calling at night...

_Wap._

Kiku's dark eyes slowly opened, awakening from the slumber he had unexpectedly slipped into for who knows how long. The first thing that he could see after his vision was clear was class letting out. Everyone was leaving and the sky was not quite as bright and clear as it was earlier. Oh crap, he slept through the afternoon and there would probably be some awful consequences to this.

First Ludwig and Feliciano arrive to school late, and then he sleeps through the afternoon because of people calling him at night over and over. That could oddly be connected together.

He was about to get up and stretch his muscles which were now numb. But then Kiku heard soft breathing and noticed that his head was lying against the shoulder of another person beside him. A faint shade of pink flooded to his cheeks when he realized this person hadn't been here when he fell asleep, who knows when he could have came over...and here he was resting against him like a pillow.

When Kiku turned to get a glimpse of this unexpected presence, his eyes widened slightly with surprise.

Heracles himself was resting against the tree, looking quite comfortable as he slept and rested his head against Kiku's.

Oh God.

'_Heracles...! When did he get here? How long as he been here?_' Kiku's eyes began to squeeze shut as another wave of embarrassment overcome him, just thinking about how long they could have been lying here together. Anyone could have viewed this. And if Sadik saw this...oh, all of hell would break loose.

Now this wasn't such an ideal position to be in. Kiku couldn't find any way to slip out and go home because of the fact they were both resting against each other. The slightest movement would alert him of what was happening and Heracles looked so...endearing sleeping like this, he hadn't the nerve to disrupt it. In fact, Kiku would have ordinarily liked to see this up close. But he couldn't risk having him awaken and ponder why he was watching him sleep. He could just sense what the gossip would be like.

"Hey, Kiku." Kiku near jumped out of his skin at hearing that familiar, lazy tone of voice. His eyes snapped open and shifted to meet Heracles'. The Greek was offering a simple smile, as if he was totally okay with their position. "What time is it?"

"Most likely four..."

"Ah, I guess we overslept? Oh well, that was _very_ nice." Heracles sighed, sounding strikingly content. He didn't once hurriedly sit back up and give Kiku some space. If anything, he liked the way they were resting against each other. "Did you...sleep well?"

"It was...fine..." '_Do not look into those eyes, you will only fall under his spell. Why does Heracles have to be so attractive whether it be up close after just awakening or far away? And did...did I just think that?_' "How long have you been sleeping here? I didn't hear you."

"Minutes after you sat down and fell asleep, I came over because I had been searching for a spot to rest from the rough week I have been enduring. When I saw you, I had to look closer. And silently, I sat down beside you and watched until I fell asleep too." He stretched his arms and looked back at Kiku for a moment to give him a wink. Kiku could feel his cheeks burn and hear his words come out as incoherent stammering. "You're cute when you sleep. Sometimes, you smile."

Well, okay, this was getting very uncomfortable. Kiku couldn't believe he was actually hearing this, it wasn't that he was disgusted by it or anything...because he actually knew deep down he was affected in a good way. His heart missed a few beats. Kiku tried to escape the position and at least sit up normally, but Heracles sensed this immediately and thwarted the attempt by reaching an arm and curving it around his neck, letting his fingers slowly rub against his neck and go underneath his blazer and shirt to do his shoulders the same way.

Damn it, he had some kind of way of doing simple things like that. Kiku was sure that it would take hours to get his heart to stop beating maniacally and cool the flames in his cheeks. When those fingers swiftly rub across his skin, he was sure goose bumps had just broken out nearly everywhere.

Luckily, Kiku was a master with controlling himself. No whims were acted upon, and he could mask some of the embarrassment and pleasure that would have been visible on his features to point out like a neon sign to Heracles that he liked this _a lot_.

"Why don't you smile often?"

"W-what?"  
>"Your smile is kind of nice, and you would look even more attractive if you tried to do it often. But, however, I understand if it's difficult." Heracles turned his attention to the sky for a moment. Kiku did the same, admiring the fading blue and approaching orange. "Sometimes, I find it hard to smile. For no reason. Maybe there are problems going on and I don't even realize it – if I ever do. When you smile in your sleep, does it mean you're finally at peace when not conscious of the world?"<p>

Kiku just remained quiet as Heracles spoke. He wondered what he could possibly say or even do. He wasn't used to being so close to someone, let alone that someone being a person he may or may not like in that kind of way, and also felt highly nervous. Comments of the smile in his sleep floating through his head and making him turn bright red in memory.

The longer he sat there with Heracles, the more he could feel himself falling. Falling for him. And the intense realization that he never felt this when he was around anyone else. Contrary to Sadik's beliefs, he never felt such a wide range of emotions for him so quickly.

Comparison...of Heracles and Sadik began to come to mind. This was not something he liked to do often and could have kicked his ass for doing this, but it was more than necessary. Right now, it was time he decided what to do about the love triangle and decide if he was going to _choose _one of the two.

Kiku sighed softly, he then let his fingers retreat from Kiku's shoulder and he lifted his head from against his slightly-messed raven hair. He thought for a moment, before craning his neck right when Kiku did to look at him better, the Greek leaned in and pressed his lips against his forehead. For several seconds until he could feel his skin flush hotly.

"Heracles! What-!" Heracles merely chuckled softly to himself as Kiku's face flushed intensely, even more than it had seconds ago. He was trying to say something, maybe ask why he had just done that. Or something of that effect.

But he couldn't get anything understandable out from the pure awe he was experiencing. Maybe this wouldn't have been so bad if they were some private...but in public. Some people were still lingering and talking and could easily see.

"You get flustered too easily, Kiku. It's just a simple kiss." Heracles leaned in closer again, resting his head against his shoulder lazily. Actually, it was intended to somewhat conceal the smile on his lips. "Truthfully, I've been wanting to do that. For so long."

"For so long...?"

"Yes. But that obnoxious Sadik was always popping up unexpectedly and purposely trying to annoy me. He's a pain in the ass, I'm glad he's not here right now." The mild irritation within Heracles' tone lessened by the time he was finished mentioning Sadik. He sighed again, finally seeming calmer as he met Kiku's eyes and held a gaze. "There is something I wanted to ask you today. I know it's personal, but answer truthfully."

Somehow, Kiku wasn't sure could answer truthfully. If this was a personal question – according to description. Personal questions were usually cast aside without an answer, unless it was something he really, really wanted to admit.

"Who do you prefer? Me or Sadik?"

Finally, here was the big question. The big question Kiku had been both anticipating and dreading. This was the moment he would finally be able to settle this love triangle, get his life somewhat back to normal, maybe even...maybe even be able to admit which of the two he liked. In all honesty, he _secretly_ liked one of them all this time but kept it too quiet and almost completely minimal.

So why were words impossible at the time being?

Heracles watched Kiku with full attention, but also with a certain patience that was almost painful to notice of how would probably sit there for weeks waiting. Kiku couldn't meet his eyes at first, though he gradually gave short gazes as he gathered the words to his statement and conclusion of this love triangle.

Seconds ticked and ticked, but Kiku finally found what he wanted to say. As various mental images in the form of a flashback dominated his mind. Too many to list, but this is the key: _every one of them were about him and Heracles together. And, yes, Sadik entering the scene and killing the atmosphere by the end. _But you get the point.

"...You."

There was a beat. Of which: Heracles slowly processed this information, and Kiku kept his eyes firmly on the ground turning red and hoping to God his response wouldn't be awkward. It was difficult enough to say this after so much time.

"A-ah...I'm sorry, I really need to go home now." Kiku hurriedly freed himself from Heracles' grasp and got to his feet. He was about to turn and _sprint _NOT _flee _from the scene and maybe hide somewhere until the mortification faded.

He would have been able to leave, if Heracles hadn't got to his feet and reached for Kiku's wrist and held it tightly as if to ensure he didn't run off now. Oh, not when he finally heard what he had been dying to hear all this time.

Yes, there were times Heracles doubted that Kiku actually preferred him. Although these weren't voiced, he kept them all in his head. And seeing that Kiku has finally spat out whom he feels the same about, how could he possibly waste the moment. This was meant to happen sooner or later.

"Why are you being so hasty? Kiku, there's no reason to run...because as you know, I feel that way too." Kiku hadn't much of a time gap to say or do anything, before Heracles had leaned in unexpectedly and stole a quick kiss on his lips. "So why don't we make the most of this moment? Maybe hold on to the feeling and if you want, we could continue this at my home. Most of my family are not home around this time of the day."

"Heracles, I...we can't...this is all..."

"You're looking a little red and flustered, Kiku." Heracles once again leaned in, this time to observe the embarrassment and surprise clearly visible on Kiku's feature. Not to mention the close contact was more than enough to make this worse. "Are you okay with this?"

Yes, yes he was okay with it. The shock effect would just have to wear, and he would have to be able to fully process all of what just happened to him in order to believe it. Maybe sitting under that tree and falling asleep was one of the most greatest things that could have happened to him this year and beyond that. Because, for the longest time, Kiku hadn't the slightest idea how to end this love triangle by revealing who he had romantic feelings for.

Sadik would probably be very enraged and out for blood after he found out what happened, but it would all be worth it to finally not be the center of everyone's attention and be close with a person whom really mattered to him a lot. Though Heracles would not be the first person he developed these feelings for: he once was in a relationship with a Chinese student, Yao, however it was short-lived for reasons we can't go into right now. All's well ends well because new word around the school is that he and that scary Russian may be together.

Sadik could find someone else, Kiku was sure of it. Not everyone has to stay bitterly alone for the rest of their life, but, if he did, that would be very depressing. _Tragic_.

Taking a breath for a moment, Kiku composed himself to reply, "Yes, yes I'm completely okay with this. I guess I'm just not very experienced when it comes to relationships, I have only been in one and this would be a mere second."

"I've been in twenty. Maybe more than that, I would have to ask my relatives because they like to keep track of everyone." Heracles mentioned a little randomly, looking off into the distance as he tried to remember how many relationships he had been in since getting around the dating age. Most of them were painfully short, some lasted about two months at the most, others failed after a few days.

But now, Heracles' full attention was now on Kiku and no one else. Was this a good thing? Maybe or maybe not.

"You must have a lot of experience."

"Yes, you could say that."

"So...um...are we going to actually upgrade our relationship?" Kiku almost stammered, wanting to get this all over with. He was not good with saying stuff like this, especially not in public because anyone could overhear. Something about that made him self-conscious.

"Only if you want to, Kiku. Because I have wanted to be with you ever since we first met, and then Sadik had to enter the picture and screw everything up for me to make any moves."

Heracles decided to come closer. Kiku didn't fight it back, he stood there willingly and allowed him to get close enough to rest a hand over his warming cheek and smile softly as their eyes locked in a long gaze. Silence, peaceful silence was the only thing that surrounded them, you could hear the a piece of paper hit the ground. It was just that unbelievable how silent it was.

At long last, Heracles warm, soft hand reeled away back to his side. He knitted his brows for a moment before inquiring, "Do you really want to do this?"

"Heracles, I want to. Um...although it's had to put into words..." Kiku said, it came out as a whisper more than anything as it was a bit difficult to admit. Having to admit he could never figure out how to label his strange and constant feelings for Heracles and just now managing to have a moment to say it.

He considered, a few times, telling him. Before Kiku could get the words out of his mouth, off his tongue, something always ruined the moment and he lost his nerve. The interruptions were random at the most, although Sadik and random appearing cute cats did play major roles too.

Kiku could have sworn that Heracles' eyes glimmered when he softly said, "There's no reason to put this into words, _actions _arejust as convincing. Take this for example."

Without much warning, Kiku was pulled into Heracles' hold and the latter pressed his lips against his own in a short and simple kiss. It wasn't very long, it wasn't very lusty and all-out like in movies, but it was more than enough to surprise the hell out of Kiku once it was all over with.

And that action...really did say a lot. Too much. More than what mere words possibly could. Kiku didn't know if Heracles felt it too, but he was sure his lips were just as warm as the rest of his body. His heartbeat increasing dangerously as the seconds came and left.

"That explained a lot, didn't it?" Heracles pointed out almost teasingly, remaining very close to Kiku and absentmindedly brushing through his raven hair with one hand. "I'll call you tonight and then we can discuss where to go on our first date together. Don't worry about not being very experienced; because we don't have to have sex if that is too forward."

"Heracles...that's..." He was about to react upon being completely flustered by that suggestion he had given him. But soon, Kiku let that go and composed himself before saying, "We can talk about this later. Right now, I have to be getting home to feed my pets."

Soon enough, Kiku was saying his goodbyes to Heracles and was lifting his book bag over his shoulder and walking away. Heracles still stood there, smiling lazily and waving momentarily before he was out of his sight.

Taking his precious time, Heracles grasped a strap of his own bag, it was hoisted over a shoulder and then he peeked around the corner of the tree. He was greeted with the sight of Sadik himself pressed against it, deathly silent almost like a freakin' ninja or something. How long he had been there, Heracles didn't know. But he had a theory; he had been there long enough to overhear Kiku's choice between them both of them.

Evident by his brown eyes glaring at him with so much resentment.

To not ruin the moment perfectly silent moment, Heracles countered the glare with a brief smug look before turning and heading home.

There was so many things he was going to plan to do with Kiku, and now without Sadik in the way to do so. Oh yes, there was no mistake all was well with the world. Everything was just as it should be, at least for Heracles.

Sadik, on the other hand, was thinking of all the ways he could kill his rival in his sleep. And about how ridiculous Kiku was for choosing him over his badass self...

**To Be Continued**

_**. . .**_

**1( Sadik is now forever alone. Well, maybe not...after all...let's just say that he soon is able to get Kiku off his mind as he starts setting his eyes on a certain Egyptian classmate whose reserved ways and constant silence becomes quite a turn on for some reason. So don't be fooled, for he does not lose completely.**

**2( I wonder what Ludwig and Feliciano were doing while this was happening. Kind of makes you wonder when the main characters are not in focus.**

**3( I just happened to be listening to music at the time of writing this scene...music that managed to oddly fit. O.o "Ours" by Taylor Swift, "It Is You (I Have Loved)" by Dana Glover, and "We Belong Together" by Gavin Degraw. You seriously should listen to any of those while reading this chapter, they kind of fit...**

**Sorry about the long gap of time to publish this. Ugh, as I stated earlier, life got in the way as it always does. But there is good news: I DID NOT get fired from my job, and I also found my old copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I have been playing through it again in my spare time. BEST. LOZ GAME, EVER.**

**It only takes seconds to review, and in those seconds, a fellow author's day has been made. Please read and review, and make a day! ^_^**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**


	17. Bonus Scene 7

**I have published almost all of the bonus scenes. Counting, there were eleven in all. So we've got five to go before you get the entire story in check. What remained intact, and what was removed after getting the ax. I hope you have been enjoying these scenes so far, I have put them up so you can see what happened between all of this to make some sense out of various parts. The story would have been longer if I left these in, yeah, I was taking the easy way to the finish line. *Is wearing a bulletproof vest***

**Now, with that mind, please enjoy this next bonus scene! This one takes place at the time Elizabeta and Ludwig are having a chat about how to proceed. When Ludwig admits his inability to gather the nerve needed to grab the ditz in a kiss (And Feli is eavesdropping). And please excuse any types and whatnot that may be scattered, I remember writing this one at midnight while having jittery effects from coffee. *Decides to make some coffee and drink a crap ton of it while you read this scene***

**-Your coffee addicted author, MidnightSakuraBlossom**

_**. . .**_

_**Just One Kiss – the bonus, scrapped senes**_

_**Scene #7: Plans And Revelations**_

_**. . .**_

He realy shouldn't be curious about what the two were talking about. It wod be wrong to eavesdrop. But the urge to do so was overbearing, tough to not give into. Feliciano knew Ludwig and Elizabeta didn't usually speak with each other alone.

When he came over to her house today, it was to share the details about how their relationship has been holding up against the world. With typical smiles and excited hand movements of nothing in particular, Feliciano raved about the way the first date turned out. He was lost on cloud nine when remembering how he felt at home at his place and was comfortable cuddling up with him on that cough with absolutely nobody else to provide rude interruptions. But then, Elizabeta just simply _had to ask _how the kiss went. If he took her advice about how to either initiate or give it when it comes to a person like him.

Of course, Feliciano really didn't need much advice. He was always around girls all the time, but didn't tend to come across anyone particularly secretly shy. And although he did like girls, he also had his share of moments when he found guys attractive and just had to flirt in his own way. Elizabeta liked ot to think of him as bi, just like her boyfriend. But in this case: Feliciano liked both but Ludwig was the only guy he was serious about, and Gilbert had often gotten into relationships with guys before her but decided girls were his preference. Or, wait, did he just find her manlier than most girls?

Elizabeta tended to have to think of that a lot, and did so with a twitchy eye and slasher smile.

But that's not the point. The point being is Feliciano was feeling so wonderful with how the relationship was going, he simply had to release his happiness someway or another.

Feliciano did wonder at some moments, would the relationship last or fater. Ever since his brother found out about his decision, he seemed even more hateful. Senselessly, he ignored and or threatened him. Never had the ditzy Italian seen his actual wrath, so he didn't know what to believe. If he would be safe or not.

Or if he should move out of the house and stay with Ludwig until college. As appealing as this thought was, Feliciano didn't think it would be totally right. After all, he felt there was more to Lovino than what he revealed to others. And living with his boyfriend may give off awkward vibes towards peers – the ones who bashed gays – and not to mention Gilbert displayed obvious attraction to him that he wasn't totally dense about.

He didn't want to come between Gilbert and Elizabeta, not when their relationship was really progressing from the original one-sided hatred of when they were children. That could damage everyone's relations too much.

He fidgeted on the couch, trying to prevent himself from giving in to the curiosity of what Ludwig and Elizabeta may be talking about privately. It really wouldn't be right to barge in and inquire, or eavesdrop. Having been around Ludwig long enough, he could read him. And even if he barely took the hint when being given hints to leave, he still gathered the remains and came to the conclusion he really wanted to have a two on two discussion.

But still, it was _boring_ to lie around and await others to finish a conversation. Not only that, but it was _lonely_. Boring and lonely, not the best combination. Feliciano had a problem with both, he couldn't stand either. And the urge of curiosity was calling him...calling him to eavesdrop.

'_It is wrong to listen in on conversations. Ve~ I wonder, though, what could Ludwig want to talk to Elizabeta about? Has something come up?_' His eyes fell on the kitchen screen which led into the aforementioned room. Thanks to sturdy walls, the conversation could not be overheard. Feli's eyebrows knitted together. '_I can't believe I'm considering listening in! The two of them are important to me, in different ways, I shouldn't..._'

No matter how long he tried to battle his urges, curiosity of course, was the victor. Feliciano never stood a chance.

Balling his fists, Feliciano silently and quickly arose from the couch. He couldn't let this chance slip past, he wanted to know what they were talking about and he wanted to know right now! The Italian sneaked across the room to the rough, brown screen that covered the open arch. As much as he didn't approve, he needed to be in the know.

For once in his life at least. Feliciano couldn't remember a time he ever was one step ahead of everyone else or in the know about the important details. And every time this was revealed to the party of people, they all either reacted with annoyance or disapproval. And words that Lovino was shouted to him about how being ditzy and uninvolved would be his downfall by the end of his life...the urge to listen in and finally be aware was overwhelming that mat would ornarily exist.

Feet padding across the carpeted floor, hands in fists, and his eyebrows connected as a rare serious expression appeared on his features, Feliciano arrived outside the screen. If he strained his ears and leaned close enough, he swore he could make out what they were saying – muffled at best.

'_I'm not the best at stealth, ve, but maybe they won't notice if I crack the screen..._' Feliciano thought to himself, reaching for the screen. His fingers softly took hold and he succeeded to slid it open just enough to not be detected and to press a now open eye to. '_Ve? Ludwig is pacing and Elizabeta seems to be anxious...maybe I shouldn't do this after all. But I want to know-_'

"...And you don't know how you are going to be able to get him somewhere alone to kiss him?" Feliciano perked up, hearing Elizabeta say that. He almost thought he heard that wrong, and could feel his heart pumping fast now. "It sounds to me like this is a problem...luckily, you've gotten my interest. So, I want you to know that I am very focused and willing to give you any kind of advice that you need!"

"You make it sound simple..."

"Oh, but it is!" Feliciano wondered...what they could be discussing. When she said that he didn't know how to pull _him_ somewhere alone to kiss...did he mean...? "I can't say I know exactly how you feel, but I know what you should do." There was a short pause, before he heard padding across the floor and moved away slightly. "Feliciano, I'm sure you know how he is by now. Listen to me, he really does have feelings for you, but I can sense that he's concerned lately...about this whole relationship."

Yes, they were discussing the relationship. Feliciano's gaze lowered to the floor as he felt a slight burn in his cheeks. He wasn't angry at Elizabeta for saying all of this, but just knowing that so many are concerned and are shifting attention to what happens...it's sort of embarrassing. Which felt strange to admit, as Feliciano craved attention like a _drug_.

For a moment, a sigh could be heard from Ludwig, and this brought Feliciano back from his mind. "He isn't the only one."

"Yes, I think we all know where this is going...if something...passionate doesn't happen soon, your relationship will be sort of rocky. And, Feliciano may let his imagination wander over to outlandish scenarios of why you won't show him how you feel."

"But he knows how I am."

He hadn't been listening long, but Feliciano still crept away from the kitchen screen. Just by hearing those snippets of the discussion, he suddenly felt so much better – less worried. At first, he did let his imagination wander. He wondered if Ludwig seriously cared about him and if he was just going to do like Lovino suggested and leave him broken and alone.

Ludwig was not like that. Feliciano believed it, but some faith slipped as they had a million chances to kiss and none of them seemed to work out with all of the interruptions or accidents. If what they were saying was the truth...then this concluded there was no reason to be worried.

Feliciano had been at Ludwig's side long enough to know how he was. He was trying to be stoic, not let himself give in to weakening emotions. But when the time came for them to overwhelm, he was a failure at expressing them. This explained why he was going to Elizabeta for advice. Romantic advice. Actually, that was kind of endearing...

Truthfully, Feliciano was becoming worried that Ludwig may not want to be too serious about the relationship. He fidgeted and pulled at his clothes looking in his direction, hoping that the nervousness he felt wasn't him just being paranoid that he would be rejected. Feli had a little fear about being rejected. The last thing he wanted was to wind up all alone downtown with nothing and no one at his side. Nothing to believe in and wondering where his life went.

Feliciano genuine cared about Ludwig. He knew a lot of things about him. He knew that getting into a relationship with him would be kind of awkward, and would progress differently than most because of his inexperience with this stuff. There were moments he noticed Ludwig really making an effort to understand all of this, he had to give him points for that. But he wasn't informed of how it all just clicked, and you couldn't make a special moment happen.

Like those few moments they both of them _almost _kissed. It felt magical, indescribable, and no one could possibly initiate a moment of that effect. It surely would just cow naturally. And in due time. Ludwig seemed to believe, after secretly reading books about relationships, there had to be a perfect time for something and if one signal went over a head then it meant everything would fall apart.

Then again, Ludwig did appear to think everything has a perfect time and moment you're supposed to make it scatter into place with great form. Feliciano knew this wasn't true, he was the type to go through life on a cloud and just let it all fall as it should.

But even his cheerful and happy go lucky attitude wasn't enough to keep him at bay from thinking their relationship would be damaged if nothing happened. Just as Elizabeta once said. He was anxious for a kiss, he always thought Ludwig would be so...oh you know. He wanted a taste badly. He couldn't wait, and this could be his downfall.

Elizabeta also once told him she believed her and Gilbert's relationship would be doomed because of a similar situation. Of course, the situation wasn't totally the same. But you get the picture. Gilbert was always letting his hands roam her body and he wouldn't stop trying to steal kisses from her – even in public places were they could mentally scar spectators whom didn't leave their house to see porn like this. But she wasn't quite ready to be touchy-feely.

She had recently been in a relationship that didn't work out well because the guy moved away and long distance type things were too somber. So they ended it, then she set her eyes on the awesomeness that was Gilbert. Feliciano could remember her commenting it took her awhile, but she finally loosened up and let her hair down so to speak. The strong and composed Hungarian girl finally cracked and let him take her to the car parked on the empty roadside...yeah, the rest was history.

Knowing Ludwig's efforts, Feliciano wondered how he would be able to go on. Should he tell him he knew or keep it a surprise for when they do have that first kiss?

_**. . .**_

"Goodbye, Ludwig~! Please don't hesitate to visit me again!"

Elizabeta finished waving Ludwig off. He turned only to give a quick nod and then continue his way to the car. She smiled cutely, knowing that all of her effort would soon pay off. That Friday, when Ludwig put the plan into motion and took Feliciano to the movies to...ooh! This was going to be so cute and she hoped someone give her the details about it later!

Finally, Elizabeta closed the door and turned on her heel to see Feliciano himself still standing there. She couldn't help but squeal inwardly, and she knew that she had to tell Feliciano the plans they arranged back in the kitchen. She already crossed her fingers, playing dirty wasn't always a bad move.

Besides, she knew Feliciano was getting worried about the relationship. She wanted him to be happy, she wanted him to understand that Ludwig would never raise him up only to let him fall. If he really did willingly get into this relationship; it meant he was serious until the end. It was the kind of person he was.

Of course, it would be hard for someone less inexperienced and un-knowledgeable to digest. Feliciano wouldn't know what it was like to be cold for a long amount of time, only for one person to drop into life and thaw it all before the changes were even apparent. Ludwig probably thought that he could never have someone else to take that place, and would be devastated should it all fall to the ground. So someone had to lift this up and carry it through for the first round.

"As for you, Feliciano, I want to tell you something important." Elizabeta spoke in an almost serious tone as she gestured to the couch. Feliciano was confused, he didn't hear that tone often and he did have to be getting to the grocery store because Lovino had been complaining lately about the lack of paper towels and cups in the house. "You have to know what me and Ludwig were discussing just now. I was supposed to promise I would not spill, but I crossed my fingers." To show Feli her sneaky lack of promising, she raised her hand with her index finger crossed over the ring. To conflict her serious tone, she was smirking.

She was about to tell him willingly, what they were talking about? Wouldn't that be wrong? After hearing the little pieces of the exchange earlier, Feliciano didn't believe Ludwig would feel secure knowing he was aware. He would probably be more or less self-conscious or be really awkward when that one kiss finally came and passed.

Obviously, Elizabeta did not find this shameful. She was totally willing to spill everything and say what Ludwig was intended to do. The matchmaker believed her actions to be the right route to take, she thought Feli would want to know to give him some fresh hope and make his entire week. And this was true, Feliciano did want to know but was not was willing to spy to achieve information.

As long as Ludwig didn't know he knew, what was the harm in letting him be in on the situation?

"Has there been moments in which...you and Ludwig almost kissed only to be rudely interrupted?" Feliciano nodded at the question as he began to pace the floor quietly. Elizabeta ofered a smirk and began to pace alongside him to show support. "Do you know Ludwig cares about you a lot? I mean, a _lot_. He told me there's been times he'd tried to initiate the first kiss of your relationship – to signal the first of a million I hope."

"Ve~ I realized he was acting strange lately. Thugh I wasn't oblivious, I could tell...and that's why I went with the rush of the moment."

"I still can't believe you haven't had one little kiss yet..." Elizabeta paused in the pacing long enough to give herself a long facepalm of mild misery. "That one on Ludwig's doorstep and the one in the corner of your school were real winners judging by the detail."

"I wish he wasn't so nervous though...I don't care if anything's going fast or not," Feliciano's lips curved to a smile and he halted the pacing to save it for another dramatic moment. It would probably be needed with Lovino breathing down his neck. "Ve~ honestly, I just want the relationship to work...I've never put much effort into forming a long one because of romance just coming naturally to me. Ludwig took forever to win over."

"I recall watching you try and master your typical ditzy smile in the mirror when I came over to visit you a few times in the past." Did Elizabeta really have to bring that up? Was it necessary. In any event, despite mildly mortified that he actually bothered to perfect a smile when it came so naturally to him, Feliciano chuckled softly and brushed it away out of the conversation.

The playful banter aside, Elizabeta approached the Italian and threw an arm around his shoulder. When he froze and turned to meet her certain expression she wore when she had a plan up her sleeve, he felt fate was going to have the time of it's life by whatever would happen next.

"Back in the kitchen, Ludwig opened up to me about what's going on. He doesn't know I'm telling you this, however, he seemed to be desperate for romantic advice. Tee hee~ it was actually kinda sweet, but that's beside the point." The two started walking towards the kitchen area. Once their, Feliciano seated himself at the table and Elizabeta headed for the coffee maker and poured some up. She was too lazy to make the coffee any other way so they settled for this. "Ludwig has proven he's very lacking in romantic knowledge. Despite that flaw, he seems to really want to make sure you're happy. He wants you to know he cares behind that stoic expression."

"I already know..."

"And...do you know he's dying to kiss you? That he has been trying all this time to corner you somewhere and let the hormones take over?"

"Veee~..."

The coffee now forming in the machine and dripping into the pot, Elizabeta still had her back to Feliciano so he wouldn't see her dreamy smile. It was if she was the one living this situation and having a boyfriend whom went through so much hell thinking of her solely. Gilbert was dedicated whether he showed it often or not, but he lacked in sensitivity and it just got under her skin.

By not crawling into bed with him for a little while, Elizabeta knew she was going to drive him insane. But he totally had it coming. Despite what people have warned her about.

Feliciano should be relieved Ludwig was the opposite of his brother. Honestly, she thought he deserved someone who was actually that into him regardless of how many mistakes he made over and over. She knew he did return the feelings, but wanted to go on with the relationship and not be trapped in this milestone.

One kiss would solve everything. Feliciano did want one and plenty more – although those didn't have to be on the lips. They could be anywhere it was permitted. As long as he had Ludwig there. He easily saved him from snapping due to problems with being utterly alone. For the record; Elizabeta didn't know much about those problems he had but didn't dare ask how that worked.

When the plotting Hungarian turned to see Feliciano, he was still sitting at the table with his eyes fixated on it as he mindlessly shuffled his fingers a little. She gazed around the room for a few seconds before approaching him and pulling up a seat. The ruined floor of the kitchen was a price to pay later.

"Elizabeta...Ludwig is planning something, isn't he?" Elizabeta's hand she had brushing through her friend's hair froze. She felt like she was busted. Feliciano still smiled regardless as their eyes met. She didn't question him, so he went on, "Ve~ I guess it's something I should find out for myself...but I can't help it! Elizabeta, please tell me!"

That she could do. What Feli didn't realize was the fact she planned too all along. Even if this would damage her mild friendship with Ludwig that was just beginning to blossom when he found out (_if he did_), she was delighted by the turn of the events. Luck was coming head on, the chances at stake were balanced and anything could go down from there. With that in mind, Elizabeta decided it was best to disclose everything.

Knowing her good friend was trying not to express his anxious feelings to find out, Elizabeta turned away from him quickly to grin and applaud herself. In an instant, she was swiveling back to spill the beans.

"Feliciano, Ludwig is going to go with you to the movies Friday night...as you know. But here's the little idea I gave him: he's going to try and make a move in the darkness of the theater. I know he won't possibly be as forward as Gilbert was with me, so take it all as it comes..."

Feliciano listened with full attention on Elizabeta. The more she spoke, the more his smile increased and his spirit was being uplifted. He couldn't wait for Friday, it would be so perfect! And absolutely _nothing _stood in their way this time!

_**. . .**_

"Hey, Arthur, there's this epic horror movie comin' out and the opening night is Friday!"

"Why are you telling me about it, Alfred?"

"'Cause I'm going to go see it and I happened to hear while eavesdropping on your conversation with that imaginary bunny of yours you're going."

"Humph. _You're _going to a horror movie? I would like to see you survive that without soiling yourself at the opening scenes."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Yes..."

"Okay, well, you're going with me then!"

"Fine, what...what are you talking about? W-where are you dragging me? Release me this instant!"

"We're gonna go get some practice in before the main event! Duh! 'Cause we're going to be the first ones to see that movie and I'll prove I won't freak out."

_**. . .**_

"Heracles, this looks like an interesting movie."

"Hmm? What are you talking about, Kiku?"

"I'm reading this article on the internet. This new horror movie coming out on Friday sounds good. And I actually like watching horror."

"Are you suggesting...you want us to go together?"

"Ah! Well...Heracles...I just thought..."

"It would make a nice first date. And since you're all hesitant when it comes to intimate gestures in public, a nice and dark movie theater is an ideal setting."

"Um..."

"We could cuddle closely and let our fingers roam around, nobody will see. And just as the movie gets going, we stop paying attention long enough to for us to lean in and-"

"Please, Heracles..."

"What?"

_**. . .**_

Back at the Vargas residence, Lovino was chilling the couch typing on his laptop. He had been getting so pissed off with Feliciano for various reasons. Reasons he would rather not go into in fear the subtext would creep out.

But the reasons were mostly because he absolutely hated the fact Feliciano could possibly ruin his own life by hooking up with someone probably just because he reminded him of some guy from his past, and because he was also kind of jealous. Feliciano seemed to trust the bastard so much, he told him anything and did anything. He held back nothing.

Lovino was not good with letting it all out. He bottled everything and refused to put out some trust. He didn't think he needed to trust anyone, because he would never receive it back. That's just the way the world went and he could only follow after.

Just as fingers typed in a search – _how to successfully break up a doomed relationship_, when the annoying tone of the doorbell chimed. **DIIING DONG!**

The laptop never moved and neither did Lovino. He merely pressed the enter key and went on with the search. He had a good theory as to who was at the door and was sure he would leave him alone for a change.

But fate had it out for him...

**DIIING DONG!**

**DIIING DONG!**

**DIIING DONG!**

**DIIING DONG!**

**DIIING DONG!**

**DIIIIIII-**

"STOP ABUSING THE FUCKING DOORBELL!"

"Open the door, Lovi~!"

His eye twitching, Lovino slammed the laptop off him to the side of the couch and angrily stormed across the room to the door.

When he violently opened it up, he wasn't surprised to see Antonio standing there with his hand inches away from pressing that fucking annoying doorbell again. This was so great, not. Now he fell into his trap and would probably have to go spend the entire day with the bastard or something!

Fate really did have it out for him...Lovino didn't think he could ever figure out whether he wanted or didn't want to be around the annoying bastard. If he made up his mind, it would be too soon.

**To Be Continued.**

_**. . .**_

**Please excuse the very long amount of time it took to publish this one. I almost totally forgot about it. But now, that's all over. I actually kind of enjoy revealing this bonus scenes of what would have happened in the story had they not gotten the ax.**

**The story would be have been longer. Curse my inability to stay focused on a long story! D:**

**If you're still reading this story, for the bonus scenes, you're awesome! Take some fresh gelato! ^_^ *Gleefully gives you long-time readers gelato***

**-MidnightSakuraBlossom**


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